The Miscellaneous Adventures of Akiko
by spicygenou
Summary: Hayashi Akiko is currently a highly ranked maid of the Kuchiki estate staff, but with her big dreams guiding her, she will soon become much more. As she writes her own destiny, her past starts to reveal itself, including some things she'd rather forget. ByakuyaXOC
1. Chapter 1

She woke with the sun, as she did every morning on the Kuchiki estate. Stretching, the sun hit her toned arms and her yawning face. She scratched her head, messing up her high-ponytail that she always wore to bed even more. She rose from her simple bed and walked to the bathroom to get ready for the day ahead. Today was an important day: she would finally tell Kuchiki-sama something that had been on her mind for weeks now. She pulled her long, dark hair into two buns beneath her ears. Some hairs strayed from the near knots and flared out in various directions. A lone, unnoticed strand rested between her eyes, breaking the monotony of her straight center part.

All the maids and laborers who work hard behind the scenes to keep the Kuchiki manor running smoothly greeted her in the halls. They addressed her informally, despite her status, as she had known most of them since infancy.

"Good morning, Akiko-kun. How are you?" asked a particularly bubbly maid.

Akiko warmly greeted everyone as she made her way to her her favorite place-the gardens. She had always had a way with plants; she would merely sit with them and they would grow strong and beautiful in no time at all. Today, though, she only had to water and weed, and thus her outdoor tasks were complete.

Inside, the maids bustled about, cleaning quickly. Akiko could smell breakfast being cooked in the kitchen, and went towards the scent. She grabbed a plump peach from a bowl on a table outside the kitchen door and bit into it. She sucked in juice and placed her hand beneath her chin in an attempt to keep her simple red robe from being sullied by dribbled peach juice. She sat and waited for breakfast to be finished cooking then went in to the kitchen to help out. She didn't know the kitchen staff too well, so they treated her and her words with more respect than the housemaids. Bored, she helped them with delivering the completed plates to their designated recipients.

"Where is Byakuya-sama's plate?" she enquired. A young boy pointed out several bowls and plates filled with food: steamed rice, miso soup, seasoned nori, and tamagoyaki were the delicacies Byakuya would soon enjoy. Akiko grabbed these, much to the delight of the other delivery men and women. All of the Kuchiki staff tried to stay away from the young master, as he was depressed and irritable since the death of his wife, Hisana. She had like Hisana; the woman was humble and befriended Akiko in her short time at the Kuchiki manor. Many of the other maids thought it was unfair how a "street-rat" could be loved by Kuchiki Byakuya and become part of a hugely scandalous marriage, so the treated the new woman coldly. But Akiko would always speak to Hisana and gave her the gift of friendship, especially in her last few days. Byakuya had grown used to Akiko's extended visits with his wife, and he didn't seem to mind, although he was reluctant at first because of the large difference in ranks, but Akiko made Hisana happy, and thus he was happy.

Now outside Byakuya's study where he was often found, even in the early morning hours, researching, Akiko knocked.

"Come in," sounded a voice from within. Akiko slid open the door and saw the man who had unwillingly captured the hearts of countless women, and understandably so. Despite his harsh demeanor, his regal appearance was too handsome to be ignored. Fortunately, Akiko had grown used to his looks over the years. She had also seen him for the obstinate, judgemental noble that he truly is, traits that she did not admire.

"Kuchiki-sama," she greeted with a bow. She stood straight and walked to his desk, setting the plate and bowls on any available space on his cluttered desk gently. He regarded the food with little interest as he focused his full attention on a yellowed book, heavily annotated with both old and fresh ink. She bowed again then went to leave. At the door, she stopped and gulped, remembering what she had wanted to tell the man. Breathing deeply as if to inhale confidence, she turned back to him. He was still reading, so she cleared her throat to get his attention. He looked up.

"Yes?" his slightly raised brow seemed to say.

"Kuchiki-sama, I don't know how else exactly to say this, so I'll just say it: I, Hayashi Akiko, request permission to...leave."

"You mean to work at one of our cottages? That could be arranged," he stated.

She spoke up again, "No, not to leave this house to another, but to quit. To quit working for your family and to quit being a maid."

He set down his book. "Hayashi, you have literally been here your whole life-you were born here, to your mother who also worked here. Need I remind you that she became a staff member to repay a debt to my father for saving her life? And since her illness prevents her from working, you had to take her place? Besides, you have advanced to the head staff member and have even become my trusted attendant over the years. Why would you quit now?"

It was true, Akiko had become Byakuya's personal handmaid if you will and they had grown close, though not unprofessionally so. She personally served him and would accompany him when he had family dinners, standing in the back with the other servers, waiting for any orders. Before waiters served drinks, Akiko was required to sample it to ensure it wasn't poisoned. It was nice to sample thousand dollar wines, but she still feared for her life, for if any attempt had been made to do away with him, Akiko would suffer his fate. For years now, decades even, Akiko had remained on the staff and had earned the trust of Byakuya and some of the higher up nobles of the Kuchiki house. When she first started, less than ten years old, Byakuya had only been a young teen, not yet completely aware of the consequences of his noble status. He would sometimes persuade her to skip out on her duties to play with him, and he would always cover for her afterwards. He introduced her to other noble children, the only one who accepted her being a very outgoing Shihoin by the name of Yoruichi. As he aged, though, he realized that he could not be seen fratenizing with a lowly servant, so they slowly drifted into a more professional relationship. For a maid, she was pretty well off. Sometimes, Byakuya's mother would even bring Akiko on vacations or relaxation days, claiming she would need a handmaid to attend to her needs, although she had confessed to the young woman that she thought she deserved a break for working so long without pay. But, Akiko could never be happy in this life of bondage.

Akiko wished she hadn't have asked, but seeing as her service was payment of a debt, she could have been captured and tried had she just run away. Sighing, she answered, "I know that this debt must keep being paid till my mother dies-heaven forbid-but I feel that I was not born to be a maid my whole life. No matter how high my position here, I will always be just an indentured servant. I have worked hard my whole life and have gotten nowhere. I'm asking-no, begging- you if I could have the chance to drive my own fate, to truly live my life and make a future." Her voice and passion grew with each word of her short speech, and at the end, she was relieved that she had finally gotten the words on her heart spoken out loud.

A few silent moments passed as Byakuya stared at her, though he seemed to be looking through her. The air was tense. Akiko could feel her clenched hands beginning to sweat.

Finally, Byakuya spoke up, "Alright. I give you your freedom you have requested. Your mother is no longer indebted to the Kuchiki house, thus you may go wherever you please. You have earned it through your years of hard work."

Akiko grinned like a madwoman. "Thank you, Kuchiki-sama!" She bowed several times.

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"Oh, well I've always wanted to be a shinigami. I don't have to be a captain or anything, not like you, but I just want to push myself and be the best I can be."

He nodded. He wasn't into all this motivational talk, so he returned to his book. Sensing he was in an uncharacteristically good mood, Akiko decided to get out of there as quickly as possible, before he could change his mind. She turned to rush out the door, but was stopped by his voice.

"Hayashi."

"Yes, sir?"

"I would like to thank you for the friendship you gave Hisana in the short time you knew her. It brought her much joy in this unfamiliar environment." He said it awkwardly, for he was probably unaccustomed to thanking others.

Akiko smiled, "It was my pleasure to have met her, Kuchiki-sama. Your wife was a wonderful woman. We talked a lot, and I know that she genuinely loved you."

Byakuya merely nodded and went back to his research, but Akiko swore that she saw a faint upturn of his lips just before they were hidden behind the bulky book. She now left his study, then the building, and returned to her quarters. She packed her few things in a brown sack and soon she was out of the Kuchiki estate for good. She didn't say goodbye to anyone, as no one was truly her friend there-the closest person to her had been Hisana. She didn't turn back as she headed to Rukongai to inform her mother of the great news.

Hayashi Hinata lived in a shack in a poor but peaceful part of Rukongai. There was one room in her home with a bed and a stove. There were bathrooms to use outside which were shared with several other families. The whole community was funded by donated money, making the only option for the woman with no way to generate a consistent income.

It had been several years since Akiko had seen her mother, for it was easier to live at the manor where she had worked than to walk the hour journey to and from each day. Hinata, who still appeared to be a young woman, just under fifty, was actually over one century old, and she had lost her good health and her ability to work when she had contracted tuberculosis when Akiko was only eight. Her coughing was so severe that it hindered physical activity of any sort, so Akiko took her place as a maid. Hinata never wanted for her daughter to get caught up in a life of servitude, but there was little she could do to sway the young Akiko once she had made up her mind.

Akiko knocked on the thin door and entered her mother's house that was about the same size as her room back at the Kuchiki manor. Her mother was boiling some water on the stove in a teapot. She smiled when she saw her daughter.

"Why, this is such a lovely surprise! Oh, Akiko, dear, how you've grown!" Akiko rushed to her mom and they embraced one another lovingly. Akiko, now 88 with the appearance of a 20 year old, had indeed grown, and was now taller than her mother, who had given Akiko her silky black hair and kind face, not her short stature. It had been nearly 5 years since her last visit, yet in that short time she had hit a huge growth spurt and was now 5 foot 10, just an inch shorter than Byakuya. She had also filled out and looked more like a young woman than she had before.

"I've missed you so much, mom."

"Me too, sweetie," Hinata held her daughter at arms' length. "While I'm glad you're here, won't you get in trouble for leaving the grounds for a familial visit?"

Akiko grinned, "Mom, I'm... well... I'm free! We're free! Your debt's been paid. I talked to Kuchiki Byakuya, and he just did away with your debt!"

Hinata was speechless, but then she hugged Akiko fiercely. Her shoulders shook as she whispered, "Bless him! Bless him!" Akiko patted her emotional mother's back and found herself crying as well. Their joyous celebration was cut short, however, when Hinata began to cough violently She pulled away and sat on her squeaky bed. Her hand was covered in blood she had coughed up. Akiko used her sleeve to clean up her mother. Then, the teapot screeched, and Akiko grabbed the only teacup and poured some of the hot water into it. Using a tea bag in a box below the bed, Akiko prepared some tea and gave it to her mother.

She graciously accepted the cup and took a long, slow sip, the hot liquid burning yet soothing her pained throat.

"Sorry for ruining our celebration," her mother said between sips. She smiled, but spoke sadly.

"It's not your fault," Akiko comforted. I can't leave her all alone in this condition. Not again, she thought. I can't abandon her to fulfill my wants.

"So, Kiki," her mother interrupted her thoughts, using Akiko's childhood nickname, "What are you going to do now with all your free time?"

Akiko leaned back, putting her arms behind her head, "I don't know. Probably get a job or something so we can move out of here."

"That's it? You've worked this hard to be free and now just want to work your whole life to help out your sick mother? I won't let you."

Akiko stared at Hinata, stunned and silent.

"Now listen, I'm not completely helpless. I have been able to earn a little bit of money by helping the neighbors with little odd jobs. I'm perfectly content here, but you're young. You should be out experiencing life, you don't belong here. I know you've wanted to be a shinigami since you were young, so I'm going to give you this money, and tomorrow morning you will sign up for the Spiritual Arts Academy in town. I know you'll pass the test, you'll probably became the head captain someday." her mother threw up her arms as if to say, "Everything is possible for you," then motioned for her daughter to be silent when she opened her mouth. "No 'buts'. I just want you to be happy, and you could never truly be happy being restrained as you have been or as you will be if you make yourself my servant."

Akiko smiled at her mother, She knows me too well, she thought, tears threatening to spill over. Then she embraced her mother once more. "Thank you," was all she could say, though those two words could hardly do justice to the love she was feeling right then.

After some tea, the women caught up on each other's lives. Akiko told her mother about all the adventures she had had as a maid and about her promotions, while Hinata shared stories about the simple community and all the love and drama going on.

They kept the other laughing late into the night, till they both fell asleep on the bed, Akiko leaning back against the wall with her mother's head resting on her shoulder. They slept soundly, Akiko dreaming about being the strongest shinigami, and Hinata not dreaming. And, for the first time in years, she slept through the night, without waking once to cough.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey readers! So, I kind of updated chapter 1 so it would fit in with the Bleach timeline a bit better, so reread some parts that I updated so that if in the story I ever reference to the new facts you won't be too confused! :-O

Also, I like to use double dashes alot, but they don't save on here-they erase one dash. So, if you see "-", it most likely was supposed to be a double dash. Sorry for any confusion.

Also, sorry, this chapter is kinda boring. :-/ But, life can't be exhileratingly awesome all the time, right?

* * *

Akiko woke up early to head to the central square of Junrinan, the first district of Rukongai. Because of its proximity to Seireitei, this division has a low crime rate and is a peaceful place for all. The people are kind and charitable, even to those who are different from them, a rare thing to see in this world. Luckily, Hinata had managed to find residence in this utopia of sorts, for she would not fare well in any of the rougher districts. Leaving a note behind telling her mother her whereabouts, Akiko set off to the more populous parts of the town where the Spiritual Arts Academy exams were being given for the rest of the week. Anyone with a shred of reiatsu who was willing could take the exams, then they would find out if they belonged in the Shinigami world. Once, when she had watched Byakuya and Yoruichi training, she envied their strengths and speeds, and was curious about the strange forces they exerted. They explained to her that is was called reiatsu, and was a Shinigami's spiritual power. After a few tests, they deduced that even Akiko had some reiatsu, after proving that her body suffered from hunger, unlike the thousands of reiatsu-less men and women in Rukongai. The Kuchiki estate was located within Seireitei, so Akiko had become used to constant reiatsu pulses, but her friends seemed to be much stronger than the others, excluding the few highly ranked captains that would occasionally visit. When they realized Akiko could compete with them, they started training her, starting at the basics of sword fighting, shunpo, and harnessing reiatsu, much to the distaste of Byakuya's grandfather. She became a good enough fighter, and would play flash tag with the two; she was on an equal level with Byakuya, but both of them failed to surpass Yoruichi's speed. This all continued till Byakuya joined Yoruichi in the Gotei 13, taking his father's place as the captain of the 6th division. Akiko had witnessed his bankai when he first discovered it, and she still remembers the proud, silly grin on his teenage face when he showed it off to the two girls, even impressing Yoruichi.

_He's changed so much_, she thought, sighing out loud as she walked past a man opening up his shop. _Once he caught word of Yoruichi leaving Soul Society, he trained to such dangerous extremes, and the first time he even used me as a sparring partner. Luckily, he realized who he was beating up and stopped, but I still have scars form Senbonzakura. Then, he rarely spoke to me except to give orders, I think because I reminded him of his days with Yoruichi, and maybe he even felt bad for hurting me, but I doubt it. He said nothing when I came back from the fourth division after 2 whole weeks._ Still walking, Akiko imagined how life was for Yoruichi now, and where she may be. Her thoughts were interrupted by a low rumble from her stomach.

"Perhaps I should have eaten something," she mused aloud. Looking about, she discovered a cute bakery that released smells of cinnamon and fresh bread. She entered and, realising she had no money, turned on her charm. The young man, flushing, handed her a loaf of plain wheat bread, which she took with a smile. She continued on her way and took bites with each step. When she was halfway done with her breakfast, she came upon the central pavilion, where tons of people were gathered, ranging from young children to aged men and women, and everything in between. There were some scary people who glared at all newcomers, Akiko supposed they were from the outer districts, and steered clear of them. She noticed a man who looked in charge and asked him where exactly the exam was to be taken. He told her in about 30 minutes, they would all be handed a test and a writing utensil and finsih it in this courtyard in less than an hour. She nodded, then thanked him. Akiko settled in a small, shady patch on a surprisingly unoccupied bench-or so she thought. Soon, a thug came from behind and coughed.

"Hey. Get outta my spot."

She turned to see a hulking figure with cat yellow eyes and scars up and down his exposed chest and arms. Behind him were slightly smaller yet still intimidating grunts who smirked at her. She stood up.

"I'm sorry, I don't want any trouble, I'll just go now." she rubbed the back of her head and turned to run, but the man caught her by the back of her blue robe and lifted her in the air. She kicked with her legs and dug her nails into his arm; feeling herself break skin, she twisted her wrists. He merely chuckled as blood trickled down his arm. He turned her towards him and she glared. Feeling reiatsu pulsing in her legs, she kicked him in a sensitive spot, finally getting a reaction out of him. He dropped her and she landed on both feet. While he crouched down, holding his personal package, she quickly grabbed the rest of her bread and ran to the other side of the square. She hid behind a tall man who regarded her strangely.

"Hey, Rukia, looks like this girl has some fight in her," he spoke to a short girl who was facing away. "Hi, I'm Abarai Renji, what's your name? Are you Okay?"

"I'm Hayashi Akiko. And I'm fine."

Abarai tapped the girl on the shoulder, "Well, aren't you gonna introduce yourself?"

She turned and gazed with huge gray eyes up at Akiko. "Hey. I'm-"

Akiko gasped shen she saw the girl, "Hisana? But, how can-? You-you're dead! Oh, don't tell me you faked your death to run away with this man?" Akiko's arms had been flailing, a habit she had when she was flustered, loosing whatever was in her hands on unsuspecting passerby, in this case, a partial loaf of bread.

The two looked at each other, then at Akiko. Both had raised eyebrows. "I'm sorry. My name is Rukia, and I grew up here with Renji. I don't know any Hisana. We're both orphans from the 78th district, Inuzuri."

Akiko calmed herself down and sighed, "I'm sorry, you look just like this woman I know, or knew, I guess." Her face brightened, "So, you guys here for the Academy entrance exams too?"

The man called Abarai with spiky, red hair smirked. "You know it. Rukia and I are gonna be captains." Rukia looked at him with admiration, then nodded with a confident grin. "And you?"

She nodded, "Ya, that's why I'm here. I don't really care for my ranking, I just wanted to get out of this life, you know?" They both nodded, understanding how the girl felt. "But, I hear the higher ranked officers get a salary, and that would help me with my mother, so maybe I will become a captain too!" She gave a cheesy grin and thumbs-up, making Abarai and Rukia laugh.

"Maybe we'll be in the same class," Akiko rushed to say after 20 minutes of conversing with the two friends, just as the man from before announced that the tests would begin soon, and that once they had finished, to give the test to him, and he would grade it on the spot. No lines were to be made to see him-just one person at a time. Several people began handing out packs of papers and pens. Abarai, Rukia, and Akiko all sat on the stone ground, far enough apart that they wouldn't be suspected of cheating. After everyone received a test, the man yelled, "Begin!" and the scrawls of pens on paper could be heard echoing down the alleys.

Akiko eyed over some of the questions. _These are... so easy!_ The questions were multiple choice with five options per question, and they were common knowledge questions such as:

How many divisions are there in Gotei 13?  
a. 10  
b. 13  
c. 5  
d. 15  
e. 12

or

What technique involves hand-to-hand combat?  
a. Hoho  
b. Zanjutsu  
c. Zanpakuto  
d. Kido  
e. Hakudo

and easy questions like that. Why, she had learned this stuff just being a maid in the Kuchiki manor, not to mention all the secret gossip about all the captains and highly ranked officers that she overheard from Byakuya or his mother. There were one hundred questions, and she read through and marked them all in ten minutes. Looking around, she noticed that everyone was still working, some on the first page still. Renji was only on the third page, and Rukia was about halfway done. Akiko silently chuckled as she saw all the confused expressions of people, some biting their pens out of stress, others scratching their heads, and others scratching their heads with chewed pencils. _I guess I'm the first one done_. She thought._ But I don't want to go up there and look like a total nerd handing in my test so soon! I'll wait for others._ She only waited a couple minutes, just looking around everywhere, when she caught the eye of the proctor, staring at her. She froze,_ I hope he doesn't think I'm cheating! _He beckoned her to come to him with his finger. She gulped then stood, test in hand, and walked to him. She remained quiet enough that no one besides Abarai, who was right next to her, noticed. When he saw where she was going, he gave a thumbs up. She smiled, then continued to the proctor. Standing in front of him, he glared over his glasses, and if his moustache wasn't covering his mouth, she was sure there would have been a scowl. She handed him her test which he snatched quickly and quietly. He mused over her answers and flipped page page, then started over. He glanced up at her occasionally, the suddenness of the gesture making her flinch each time. Finally, he closed the test then, summoning some reiatsu, mouthed what she assumed was a Kido, and the papers in his hand caught aflame, disentegrating into ash in a matter of seconds. Akiko watched the particles escape into the wind. He grabbed her arm and flash stepped to a random street a few blocks over.

"Congratulations. You've passed the test, or, I should say, aced it. You're the first person to get 100 questions out of 100 correct in a long time." He shook her hand and the moustache raised just enough for her to see his smile. "You shall be place in the advanced class, or first class, taught by Onabara Gengoro. I'm sure he will be pleased to meet you and train your skills. Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself. I can tell you have some reiryoku, but we shall see if you can harness reiatsu and use it." He handed her a blue ball, then instructed, "Concentrate and make a bubble of reiatsu around yourself."

Akiko nodded. She had done this years ago with Yoruichi. In less than a minute, a smooth bubble formed around her body. The man smiled and nodded, so Akiko released her hold and the bubble faded into small droplets which all vanished in the sunlight.

"Good. Classes will begin in one week. Report to the West Gate of Seireitei at noon. You will receive your uniform and zanpakutou there, but it is up to you to bring honor and power to both.

Akiko nodded again. "Thank you. What is your name?"

"Yoshida Daichi. I am an officer of the kido corps."

Akiko's eyes widened. _A Kido Corps officer? I heard that it's rare even for captains to see anyone of the Kido Corps! Why are they proctoring a simple entrance exam?_

"Ah, I see you are confused. Yes, normally I do not tell the students my position, but you seem a trustworthy person. Who knows? Maybe one day you too will join the Kido Corps, you will certainly become a very gifted Shinigami in the least. Yes, Gengoro will like you very much. Now, while I do trust you, please, do not tell anyone else about who I really am, yes? I am here to observe new recruits and spot any up-and-coming potential in anyone."

"Of course. And I am Hayashi Akiko, um, an student at the Spiritual Arts Academy." She smiled, an expression which he returned. _Hayashi...? Could it be? No... Though she does look like... _he thought.

He nodded his head, if he had a hat, he would've tipped it in her direction. "Alright, we should head back now. Tell me, can you flash step?" Akiko nodded. "Ho ho! Even more excellent! Yes, you will be a great student indeed! If, in the future, you ever need me, just leave a note anywhere, I'll find it." He grinned mischievously, which really made Akiko want to join the Kido Corps, if only to find out more about their mysterious ways. They flash stepped back to the center, where a line of several students had formed in his absence.

He groaned, "I thought I said no lines!" the students scurried back to their spots, afraid of the yelling man. Rukia stood up and walked over, handing in her test. He looked in over a couple times, then burned it. "Good, first class. Report to the western gates in one week at noon. You don't need to bring anything other than yourself." Rukia smiled and nodded. As she went back to her seat, Akiko followed. Right as they dropped to the ground, Renji stood and strode to the man. Akiko was able to make out "First class." Rukia seemed worried and she didn't hear what was happening, so Akiko patted her head and said, "Don't worry, Rukia. I think he made first class too." This earned a smile of gratitude from Rukia. Renji returned with a triumphant look. "I made first class! He said rather loudly, causing some other test takers to glare at the ruckus.

Akiko smiled, "So did Rukia and I."

"Yeesh, that guy sure was scary, huh?" Rukia nodded.

"He seemed nice to me," Akiko replied.

"Eh? Well, it's easier for girls, I suppose," he shrugged.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she glared.

"Nothing nothing." he put his hands up in defense. "I'm just saying, all you girls have to do is promise to give 'em some action and you're set."

Akiko gave him a swift punch to the jaw, sending him skidding back a few steps. "Luckily for you, I didn't wind up, and that was my left hand. Now, I don't know what type of girls you've been hanging around, (no offense, Rukia) but I don't operate that way. We girls have to work just as hard as guys, if not harder, because of pig-headed chauvanists like you who think they run the world!"

Renji held his face, "Alright, alright. You've made your point... and my nose bleed." Akiko laughed, a tinkling laugh that didn't match her strength. Rukia also laughed at her friend being beaten by a girl. He smirked, "But we'll see who's the best in a week, now won't we? Don't worry, I'll take it easy on you."

Akiko rolled her eyes but smiled at her new friend and rival. "Fine, but try not to embarrass yourself too much. I'm going to ask the proctor if we can leave now." She walked over to Yoshida and asked her question, to which he nodded and said, "Are those your friends?" while gesturing to Renji and Rukia.

"Ya, well I just met them, but they seem okay."

He nodded again, "Well, they're both in your class, and seem very capable. That red-head, he barely made it though. Not the brightest bulb on the tree, that one."

Akiko laughed. "Tell me about it."

She returned to Renji and Rukia, telling them they all had permission to leave.

"Alright, well I'll see you two in a week." Akiko waved to them as they parted ways.

"Ya, try not to die between then, because I want to beat you first!" Renji called.

"Ha! That'll be the day!" Akiko continued back to her mother's home. It was still early in the morning, so she didn't know what she'd do with the rest of her day. But, when she returned home, she found her mother snoozing on the bed still. Akiko rolled her eyes, "Tch. And she said I was always hard to wake up." She poked and prodded Hinata. "Okaaaaaa-saaaan. Time to wake uuup," she sang, now resorting to more forceful methods of waking her mother. She shook her arms and lifted her up off the bed. Finally, with a snort, she opened her eyes.

"Huh? Oh, Kiki. What are doing? Did you just wake up? Shouldn't you be taking your exams?"

Akiko laughed and rolled her eyes, "Mom, I already took them. And, I made it! To the first class, which is the advanced once! And I got a hundred percent! And the proctor was really impressed with me! And I met some other people, Abarai Renji and Rukia, who are also in my class!"

It took Hinata a couple seconds to register her daughter's fast talking, but after processing all the information, she smiled. "I knew you'd do great. Tell me about your friends. Is this Renji cute?"

She blushed, "Mom! And, no. He's annoying and I think I'm going to kick his but at the Academy."

Hinata chuckled, "Ah, young love," earning a playful smack from Akiko. Hearing the word "love" made her heart quiver, remembering the one man who had once been her love that she never told her mother about. _I knew it would never work, but it still hurt when he left me. We were young, too young, and he a noble, me a maid. Sounds like a tacky fairy tale, though ours didn't have a happy ending, for me at least. We only lasted for like, a few months, but I truly felt something for him. And... I think I still do. _

A lovestruck Akiko sighed, an emotional sigh which her mother took note of._ There is something Akiko isn't telling me, and I don't think it has to do with this Renji person. I just hope she knows what she's doing and doesn't get hurt._

They were silent for a few minutes, both reminiscing about having loved and lost. Then, Akiko smiled, "Come on, let's go outside and do something!" She stood and helped Hinata to her feet, careful not to rush her too much. The sudden movement made her feel faint and lose her vision in spots, but she hid her slight discomfort with a smile. Her daughter dragged her outside into the sun. Hinata wore her usual day clothes to bed since she couldn't afford a nightgown, so she wasn't embarrassed by her attire as she and Akiko perused the streets. They knew they couldn't buy anything, but they enjoyed the company and the carefree way they were able to browse. Akiko noticed a beautiful kimono which she tried on. Hinata frowned when she saw how lovely her daughter looked, knowing that she could never afford such luxuries. Akiko misunderstood her mother's expression, thinking that she didn't look good in the kimono, so she returned it to its hook, not trying on any nice clothes for the rest of the day. As the sun finally began to set and their feet grew tired from walking, they entered their last store for the day, Silver Tonbo, an expensive sunglasses store. A man came out from the back.

"Welcome, ladies, how may I help you? I'm Shirogane Ginjiro, the owner of this fine store and the 6th division lieutenant in the Gotei 13.

Akiko's eyes widened, "Sixth division? Then you know Kuchiki-sama?"

"Ya! He's my captain. Why? Do you know him?"

"Ya, I used to be a maid at his home."

"Really? What's your name?"

"Hayashi Akiko."

"Well, I'll let him know I saw you! I'm sure he'll be happy. I'm not sure how he could have stayed so strong willed with a lovely lady such as yourself in his workforce." Akiko giggled at the much older man's obvious flirting. "But, looks must run in the family. Tell me, ma'am, are you the sister?" he asked Hinata.

She also laughed, "Sorry, young man, but I'm the mother."

His face took on a look of shock, "No! I shan't believe it! Here, free sunglasses for the gems for gracing my store with their presence!" He grabbed a pair of green rimmed shades that Akiko had been looking at during the conversation and handed them to her. They had blue lenses that were clear enough to see Akiko's brown eyes through, but they still shaded her from the sun. For Hinata, he got large, black-rimmed glasses with purplish lenses. Both women tried on their glasses and smiled. They thanked the man for his kindness and he shaked it off, saying that if they came and visited, it would be payment enough for him. They both walked home, giggling about the man's amourous actions and modeling their sunglasses. They had taken off the pricetags, and were shocked with the three digit numbers they were greeted with. Finally home, they both lied down, Hinata on the bed, and on her insistance, Akiko on the floor. Both were hungry, though, so Akiko rose to make some dinner for them, seeing as they had skipped lunch. For the rest of the evening, they talked about miscellaneous things that mothers and daughters talked about. Laughter could be heard by the neighbors late into the night.

* * *

"Hey! Byakuyaaaa!" Ginjiro called.

"It's Kuchiki-taichou. And what?" asked a grumpy Byakuya hunched over paperwork.

"I met someone who claimed to have known you! Man, she was cute, but her mother, with beauty like the moon, porcelain skin and hair jet black with a single streak of sterling silver." he sighed.

Byakuya didn't reply. He had more important things to do than converse with his lieutenant about women he met at his work. He mentally rolled his eyes. "_Work?" I can't believe my subordinate is selling sunglasses in Rukongai. What is the Gotei 13 coming to?_

"Well? Don't you want to know who it is?"

"If it will make you be quiet, then fine."

"It was.. Oh... um... yes! Hayashi Akiko, that's it! She said she was a maid of yours, and like I said, she had some good looks. I'm surprised even she wasn't enough to crack your shell, eh?" He guffawed. "But, I must be going now, goodbye!"

Byakuya sat, still filling out paperwork. _So, she is with her mother? I thought she wanted bigger and better things, not to just live in squalor in Ruknogai. _After an hour, he finished his paperwork. As he closed his office door, he sighed. _Ginjiro was wrong-Akiko did manage to crack my shell. Maybe just a little, but it was so long ago._ He shook his head, clearing his mind of unnecassary sentiments, then flash-stepped to his home.

* * *

A/N: Alright, thanks for reading! So much mystery! Who is the man Akiko loved and lost? And the same goes for her mother. Who is Yoshida Daichi, and what was the meaning behind his cryptic thoughts? And, what happened between Akiko and Byakuya, or did anything happen at all? Find out next time (or in later chapters! :-O ) in chapter 3 of the Miscellaneous Adventures of Akiko! ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

The next five days passed by uneventfully. Hinata and Akiko spent their time walking around and browsing the shops that this district had to offer. Akiko was happy to see that her mother hadn't had a bad coughing fit in a while, even after all their walking. On their second day in town, they bumped into Shirogane-fukutaichou again, who bestowed them with more expensive gifts. He offered Akiko a part time job, but only if her mother would also come. She declined respectfully, wanting to spend as much time with her mother as possible, without working. He pouted but understood and was okay with it after a few minutes. But, the women did end up working in order to get money for food and they watched over the young children who were Hinata's neighbors. It was easy work, for they were very little and slept the whole time, but Akiko had fun just spending time with her mother, no matter what they were doing.

This morning, only one day before her first day of the Academy, Akiko awoke with a start after a short nightmare. In it, she had been walking around, then she came to a graveyard. It was sunny out and not too creepy, despite her location, but as she went deeper and deeper, she started reading the tombstones. She didn't recognize any names till she came to a very plain one in front of a freshly dug grave.

Hayashi Hinata

A loving mother and a kind woman.

Akiko drew back as she saw the date of death: today. She turned and sprinted back to from where she had come, but soon lost her way. Clouds covered the sun and cast dark shadows over the graves. The grass withered, as did the flowers that had been placed on some of the graves. She tripped over a black tree root and landed face-first in the mud. Looking up, she saw a skeleton reclined against a grave. She screamed.

Now panting, Akiko looked at her mother's sleeping form. She normally wasn't scared of nightmares, for she knew they weren't real, but the ominous message her subconscious gave worried her. She sat up and looked at Hinata. The woman was sweating profusely and trembling in her sleep. Akiko shook her and soon the sun's first rays peeked through the window.

"Mom... Mom? Mom! Wake up!" She whispered loudly as she gripped her mother's shoulder. Eventually, her eyelids flickered open and she sat up. She looked at her daughter with a raised brow.

"What? I was trying to sleep you know," she smiled and ran her fingers through her dampened hair, her eyes widening as she finally comprehended what was wrong. She wiped her wet forehead with the back of her hand and her whole body trembled. She coughed into her hand, just one cough that led to an intense fit. Her shoulders shook as blood coated her hands. Unlike the first fit Akiko had seen, this one seemed incessant and only increased in severity as it continued. The coughs sounded painful, each one deep and racking, producing more and more blood. She didn't know what to do, so grabbing a towel, she arranged her mother in her arms and made her way to the nearest clinic. She realized how frail her mother was, a weakness that she succeeded in hiding by smiling strong around her daughter.

By the time they arrived at the clinic, Hinata was trembling with more fervor and wheezing between bloody coughs. Akiko's neck and chest were also covered with blood and drops speckled her cheek. She rushed inside, startling the young receptionist. The woman regained her composure as she stood up and yelled down the hallway.

"Doctor! Doctor! We need you now!" She came to Akiko's side and helped bring Hinata to a gurney, laying her down gently. She ran and wheeled her to a room in the back. "What's wrong with her?" the nurse asked.

"She has tuberculosis, but I've never seen it like this before." The woman nodded understandingly.

"Alright, well the doctor should be her soon. My name is Koga Mei" she gave Hinata a fluffy pillow and readjusted her body to make her more comfortable.

"I'm Hayashi Akiko, and my mother is Hayashi Hinata." Just then, a man came in. He seemed to be in charge as Mei straightned up when he entered.

"I'm the doctor, Abe Hachiro. What's wrong?" he asked the assistant.

"This woman has tuberculosis, and her daughter says she is showing worse symptons than she has before."

He nodded and went to Hinata's side. He took her temperature and checked her pulse, clicking his tongue absentmindedly. After a minute he looked up. "She is showing typical symptons of tuberculosis, but they are severe, meaning that her condition is worsening, most likely due to age. She needs a lot of fluids, but she may not even be able to hold them down. She should stay here and rest, but I can't promise anything. All we can do is make her more comfortable. Right now, her body is warring with herself and damaging her lungs. She may not have much longer." Hinata trembled and seemed to be asleep on the bed, completely exhausted. Akiko sat on a chair and took her mother's hand.

"You mean, you can't do anything? She's going to die? Can't you heal her, or something?"

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, I am a doctor, but not a healer. Only Shinigami know the kido spells to help her. I would recomend just staying here by her side. I will give her an IV that will let her sleep easily, but that is all I can do. Eventually, her lungs will give out, and she won't be able to breathe."

Akiko looked at her mother, a single tear rolling down her cheek. She gripped her mother's hand harder and she glared with rage. "What? Just sit around and watch her die? If you guys won't help her, I'll find someone who will!" She stood and picked up her mother again, gently but quickly, careful not to wake her up.

"Please! Don't! You may strain her body more by moving her! The only person who could help her is a seated officer of the fourth division, I'm sure!"

"Well, if that's my only option, then I'm going!"

"They don't accept just any hurt person. You've got to have connections, or be a Shinigami yourself to get in Seireitei!"

But, Akiko didn't hear him as she flash stepped away. Soon, she came to the western gate. Her mother lay in her arms, asleep and breathing heavy.

"Hey! Big guy! Let me in!" Akiko knew being unmannerly to the huge gatekeeper probably wouldn't help, but it was also the only way to get his attention.

"Huh? What's a pipsqueak like you doing here? And, as if I'll just let you in willy nilly! You're not even a Shinigami!"

"Please, my mother is very sick and her only hope is to get healing from the fourth division!"

"That's too bad, but Rukongai inhabitants must stay where they belong!"

"But, I'm a student at the Spiritual Arts Academy!"

"Oh? Where's your uniform?"

"Well, I start tomorrow technically, but I'm still a student!"

"No, _technically,_ you're not a student till your first class."

"But, it's one day away!"

"Sorry, I can't just break sacred rules. You could be an infiltrating enemy for all I know."

Akiko shouted, "Do I look like an enemy? I'm a simple resident of Rukongai and so is my mother! She is going to die if you don't let us in now!"

He merely shrugged at the outburst. "I'll let you in, only if someone inside tells me to." He sat down and leaned against the gate, closing his eyes.

Akiko stood there, not sure what to do. She knew she couldn't take this huge enemy, even with her training, especially not with Hinata here. Tears threatened to spill over in hopelessness, but she held them in, replacing her sadness with rage. She paced and huffed, thinking. Then, she remembered what that Kido Corps officer had told her. She pulled out a piece of paper and searched her body for a writing utensil. Not finding one, she hurried to a store and quickly used one to write a note.

Dear Yoshida-sama,

I don't know if you'll really get this, but it's worth a shot. My mother is very sick and needs to get into the Gotei 13 to see the fourth division healers. We are outside the west gate and won't be let in, even though I'm a student.

-Hayashi Akiko

Her scrawl was rushed and sloppy, but it was just barely readable. It was difficult to write while holding someone in your arms. She went back to gate to see a snoozing gatekeeper. She held up the note then placed it on the ground. She looked around, not sure what to expect. She looked behind her, thinking she heard steps, but saw nothing. When she looked back toward the gate, her note was gone. She shifted her feet and continued turning her head back and forth. Then, a voice sounded from inside.

"Jidanbo! Open the gate."

The gatekeeper woke with a start, then looked to the gate. Noticing that the voice came from inside the gate, he complied, hefting the gate open with both arms. That girl from before rushed toward the opening, but he held her back with his foot.

"I'm letting someone out, not you in!"

She glared then looked to the figure on the other side.

"Yoshida-sama!"

"Hello, Hayashi," he turned to Jidanbo. "Let her in."

"What? You know her Yoshida-sama?" he asked while moving his foot away from the girl. He gulped, seemingly afraid as he regarded the man with respect.

"Yes, thank you." Jidanbo dropped the gate once Akiko went through it, clutching her mother tight to her chest. "Ok, follow me." Yoshida flash stepped and Akiko followed. The distance he could step was incredible, and she strained to lengthen her own strides. She made it to barracks with a 4 above the entrance. He stopped and quickly walked into the first building, a large rectangular structure with many windows. Hallways stretched down and were connected to large rooms with many gurneys and injured Shinigami, to small rooms that were either lacking a patient or only housed one, and other hallways. She followed Yoshida into an empty room and set her mother down on the bed. She looked back to him, but he was gone.

Minutes later, a kind looking woman entered. Akiko's eyes widened as she recognized the face.

"Unohana-taichou," she bowed her head.

"No need for formalities, child. You are a friend of Daichi's?"

"Yes."

"And this is your mother?"

"Yes," Unohana rushed to the woman's side and placed her glowing, green hand on her chest. Her brow furrowed and Akiko kept speaking. "Her name is Hayashi Hinata. She's had tuberculosis since she was young but it really kicked in a few decades ago when she was working. This morning, she had worse symptoms than I've ever seen before. The clinic in Rukongai said it was hopeless, but they're not healers. Can you help her?"

"I can't cure her, but I can guarantee her life. She'll just need to come here frequently. Since you are a student, you can both come in and out of Seireitei freely." She kept her hand above Hinata's lungs, and Akiko noticed her mother beginning to relax in sleep as her breathing became more normal and deep. Unohana continued to make conversation. "How did you know my name? And how did you meet Daichi?"

"Well, I used to be employed at the Kuchiki manor, and you came and visited Kuchiki Byakuya on occasions. I was his personal handmaid, I suppose you could call it, and accompanied him to dinners, some of which had you in attendance. And I just took the Academy exam earlier this week and Yoshida-sama said I had great potential, and he also said that if I needed help to just leave a note for him. The gatekeeper wouldn't let me in, so I wrote a note and somehow it got to him, and he had the big guy let me in."

Unohana nodded, "Yes, he explained some of that, but he's not much of a talker. You must of done something pretty good to have impressed him. He's a very strong officer in the Kido Corps, and he could probably become a captain if he wanted to, but he enjoys working under a Kido master." Akiko flushed at the praise but just nodded. Unohana laughed. "Sadly, I've had a lot of experience with tuberculosis. Another captain actually has it, though his high reiatsu prevents it from becoming as bad as this." She pulled her hand away and the glowing stopped. "That's all I can do for tonight, but she should be fine. The symptoms should stop for a while, but if they ever start up again, come here immediately. I've been wanting to get actual healers in the clinics of Rukongai, but no one in my squad is ever willing to go. Ah well, maybe someday."

Akiko stood as Unohana did, "Thank you Unohana-taichou. And if you see Yoshida-sama, could you thank him for me, too?"

The powerful woman spoke, smiling, "Of course, and I think he will come back soon, so you could thank him in person." She left, and Akiko sat next to her mother, taking her hand in hers. Her mother rolled over in her sleep, and her back was now to the door, her hair splayed across her face. Akiko grabbed a blanket left on the edge of the bed and covered Hinata.

"Is she okay?" Yoshida asked from the door.

"Yes, thank you for helping us. How did you get my note, though?"

"Oh, it's a Kido I placed on you (sorry about that). If you speak my name or write it or anything, I can tell where you are. Kinda creepy, I know, but it's just because I think you have a lot of potential, and I wouldn't want that to go to waste."

"Don't worry, that's fine. It's a good thing you did though, for my mother's sake."

There was an awkward pause, which he broke, "What's her name?"

"Hayashi Hinata."

His eyes widened and he started, "What? Hayashi Hinata? Is she from the small village in district 64 of Rukongai called Tokushime? Daughter of Hayashi Akio and Eri, who were the rulers of the town?" His word became rushed as he went on, but Akiko understood them all.

"Y-yes...? But, how did you know that?" She stood up as he rushed to the side of the bed, turning Hinata gently on her back and pushing her hair behind her ears. He froze completely as he stared. "Are you okay? Yoshida-sama? What is it?" She tentatively touched his shoulder, trying to break him from his trance. He flinched at the contact, making her draw her hand back quickly. Finally, he spoke.

"I'm sorry for my outburst. Tell me, was your mother married? Do you know who your father is?"

Akiko didn't wish to shame her mother, who had once told Akiko that her father was a man she loved but never got to marry, then never spoke of him again, but she told the truth, "No, she was never married, and I don't know my father."

"I see. Akiko, I believe that I am your father."

* * *

Dun dun dun! Gasp, bet you didn't see that coming! Actually, you probably did! And imagine Daichi saying this in shock, almost whispering, not in a Darth Vader voice! Baha! Anyway, another boring chapter, but, now we know who Akiko's padre is! Well, by we I mean you 'cause I already knew. :-P Haha. This took me like 30 min. once I got around to it, but I've been busy travelling with my team to a tournament! If you care, we won! Yay, but the teams sucked, and we won the final 6-1... No bueno for them, since it's soccer... Baha again! So, sorry for the foreverness and the shortness. I'll try to update ASAP, and I also need to work on my other story. *slaps self* Stop slacking! (haha, yelling at myself, pas toi [-French!], by the way)


	4. Chapter 4

A few hours passed before Akiko regained consciousness. When she did, she woke to find that she had been placed in a hospital bed, with Yoshida Daichi snoring softly in a chair against the wall.

She groaned aloud as she sat up, "What am I doing here, Yoshida-sama?"

He started at her voice, but apparently heard her question. "You don't remember?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head.

"Well, I told you that I was your father, and you fainted."

A few minutes passed before Akiko regained consciousness. She rubbed her eyes, and this time, she remembered everything clearly. She didn't think she had ever fainted before, not even from exhaustion, so she was embarrassed when she faced Yoshida.

"Are you okay?" he asked, with a concerned expression.

"I think so. Are... are you sure? About... this?"

"I'm almost positive."

"How did you two meet?"

"I think it may be best if I told _her_ first. After all, she hasn't seen me in over 80 years. She may react like you did when she sees me." Akiko nodded, knowing that her mother probably didn't need more stress added to this fine day, and was about to follow Yoshida back out to the hallway when someone she thought she wouldn't see for a long time blocked the doorway.

"Kuchiki-sama?" Akiko's eyebrows raised in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"At the captain and lieutenant meeting, Unohana-taichou was talking about a patient by the name of Hayashi Hinata. She also said the daughter had been placed in a hospital bed as well, so I can to make sure you were okay," he said this with his eyes shut calmly.

"Oh. Thank you, but why?"

His eyes opened, and it seemed he didn't even know the answer to that question. He covered this up by saying, "My lieutenant also wished to come, unfortunately. He wished to see your mother." Yoshida glared, though it couldn't be seen through his shades as he stormed past Byakuya and down the hall.

Akiko bowed and smiled, "Thank you, Kuchiki-sama, for visiting me. That's quite uncharacteristic of you. Acting on an impulse and of your own is something I would expect only from a much younger you." Even though her words were warm, they dripped with a sad sarcasm that only Byakuya and Akiko with their intertwined past would truly understand. His eyes narrowed at the woman, and then he turned and flash stepped to his office. She followed the path her father-saying that after so many years of wondering seemed odd to her-had taken, turning left at the door and walking down the hall a few steps. It turned out that her mother's room neighbored hers. There her mother lay, calmly sleeping, with a very protective Yoshida holding her hand and most likely glaring through his sunglasses at the 6th division lieutenant, who appeared to be bawling.

"Oh, the lovely Hayashi Hinata! How you have led my heart on a wild goose chase! Alas, no amount of gifts could sway you from your love of_ this man_." He spoke these lines as if he were performing, and his dramatic actions would have given him the starring role in any performance. He ended with an extended index finger at Yoshida, practically spitting the last words. He turned, and with his hand clutched to his breast departed, brushing past Akiko with barely a passing nod in her direction.

Confused, Akiko spoke up, "Um. What was that?"

"Nothing. The fukutaichou was just expressing his love for Hinata, while she was unconscious, but stopped when he saw me." He paused, then added, "What happened to Kuchiki-taichou."

Akiko folded her arms together in front of her chest. "He left," she said curtly, her tone halting any further questions Yoshida may have had. Just then Hinata stirred in her sleep, and both Akiko and Yoshida watched as her eyes slowly fluttered open. The first thing she noticed was that someone was holding her hand, and following the arm up to the owner, she gasped and her eyes widened.

"Daichi?" she exclaimed, shocked. But her surprise soon vanished as she calmly settled back into her pillow, whispering, "I must be in heaven. I must have died."

"Mom," Akiko went to her mother's other side, sitting opposite Yoshida as she continued, "You're not dead! You're in the fourth division. Unohana-taichou healed you, well, temporarily, but she said you shouldn't show symptons for a long time!" She was excited as she held her mother's unoccupied hand in both of hers, and her mother smiled.

"But, how is Daichi here?" Akiko shrugged, then stood and left the room in order to give her parents privacy they deserved. Before closing the door, she saw both of them embracing, with tears running down her mother's cheeks; it was the first time she had ever seen Hinata cry.

She wandered around the fourth division barracks for several minutes, and was stopped by a young woman with silver hair, short but with a long, beaded tail. She wore a typical Shihakusho, and a lieutenant armband with the number 4 decorated her left arm.

"Hello, are you lost?" Her voice was kind, similar to Unohana-taichou's, though lacking authority.

"No, I just wanted to walk around, get some blood back into my legs, you know?"

She nodded and smiled, then listened in amusement as Akiko's stomach growled. "Here, let me take you to the patient's cafeteria. We have tons of food for any taste. What's your name?"

"Hayashi Akiko."

"I'm Kotetsu Isane-fukutaichou, though you don't have to call me by all those titles." After passing several doors and turning down a seemingly endless number of hallways, they came to an open room that resembled any high school cafeteria. Long tables ran horizontally and at the end was what looked like a huge buffet table filled with colorful selections of food.

"Thank you very much, Isane-fukutaichou," Akiko bowed. The woman held up her hands.

"Hey! No need to be so formal! It's all part of the job." Isane followed Akiko to the table of food, grabbing a tray for herself as well, explaining that the cafeteria had much more food choices than the fourth squad barrack's mess hall. Akiko piled her tray with rice, udon, and tempura. She noticed some spices and grabbed some shichimi and wasabi before heading to a table with Isane, who only had a bowl of porridge.

Akiko poured on the hot spices, noticing how bland Isane's food looked in comparison. "Why did you just get porridge? I thought you ate here for the selection?" she asked between firey bites.

Isane shrugged, "Porridge doesn't have a ton of nutrients, so if I eat it, I won't grow any more! I eat it every day at least once, and sometimes I eat it for all my meals."

Akiko didn't have the heart to tell the lieutenant that porridge actually had a fair amount of nutrients, and may be just encouraging her growth, so during the next few moments of silence, she continued scarfing down her food, now just realizing how hungry she really was. She hadn't eaten since dinner last night.

Isane broke that calm sounds of silverware clinking against plastic plates and bowls, "How can you eat such spicy food? And so quickly?"

She didn't here her lunch partner over her constant sniffling. Her face was red by now, the spice having reached its highest level of hear in her mouth. She popped one of the many sugar cubes she had grabbed into her mouth, in an effort to tame the flames. The porridge enthusiast repeated her question.

Akiko laughed, "Years of practice. My friend and I, we both loved spicy food! We would have eating contests, probably not the smartest thing to do on our part. If I remember correctly, out of our 100 contests, he won 50 and I won 50. We had to stop when his parents found us pouring pepper spray on rice, blending it into a smoothie, then chugging it."

"Wow. That's insane! I'm surprised your digestive tract still exists!" Isane joined in laughing. "Who was your friend?"

"Byakuya. Ya, we had tons of adventures, but-"

"Wait, as in Kuchiki Byakuya-taichou? No way! You guys were friends! Is Hayashi a royal house, too?"

Realizing her lapse in guardedness that she normally had when talking about the famous noble, Akiko tried to cover it up, "Uh, no. I mean, ya, but it was a long time ago. You see, he _was _my friend, but there were some complications, so poof! Years of friendship completely down the drain." Even though she tried to speak as casual as possible, Isane could detect bitterness behind her words.

"Oh, I'm sorry-"

"I gotta go. My mom and... dad... are probably hungry too," she rushed to the food table and grabbed a few scoops of whatever was closest, then left before Isane could say goodbye.

She fumed as she stomped down the hall, becoming lost within a few turns. Try as she might, she couldn't forget the insufferable man who had pervaded her every thought for years. It certainly didn't help that she had had to spend pretty much every day of the last eight and a half decades him. She smiled, though it was quick, remembering how Byakuya used to be, how he was when she fell in love with him, before he became the uptight noble who everyone knew. He used to be so temperamental, and everything he did, he did it with his heart, not caring what anyone thought. But, the day came when... Akiko shook her head, fighting tears as she tried to clear her mind of the unpleasant memory. She took another sharp turn, then crashed into something, and she found herself sitting on the floor, looking up at a man in a captain's uniform. He smiled, a sly, fox-like grin that would send shivers down the hardiest of person's spine. The man held out his hand to help Akiko up.

"Sorry 'bout that. Ya shoulda watched where you were goin'." Akiko accepted his help and realized how messy she had become as a result of her fall. Noodles and rice were tucked into every fold of her robe, and hot soup scalded any exposed skin in its path. The bowls that were the previous residence of the food that now cloaked her were on the floor, spinning and clanking till they lost momentum and stood frozen.

"It's okay, I was going a bit fast and wasn't paying attention," she bowed, "Ichimaru-taichou." As the personal assistant to one of the most important nobles in Soul Society, Akiko had learned all the names of the high officers of the Gotei 13. She had even known who Kotetsu Isane was without her introduction.

His grin was still decorating his face as he said, "A'right, just be more careful next time." With a small wink, revealing just a sliver of his eye-so short a glance that Akiko couldn't decide their true color- he flash stepped away. Akiko worried about showing herself to her parents in this messy state. She decided to find an officer of the division, but not after quickly picking up her dropped food items and any silverware and wiping any liquid up with her sleeze. _Old habits die hard, I guess,_ she thought to herself.

After a few minutes, and seeing no one who could help, she managed to make her way back to her mother's room. Hinata was sitting up in the bed, a white pillow set behind her back for comfort. Yoshida held her hand as he sat in his chair, and both were smiling, making conversation.

"I can't believe you have a mustache!" Akiko's mother teased, with a playful wrinkle of her nose.

He clutched his mentioned facial hair, and when he pulled away his hand, it was gone. Just a simple shave could really change a man, and in Yoshida's case, it made him look much younger and kinder.

Akiko broke in, "There's a shaving kido?"

He laughed, "Ya, me and the guys in the Kido Corps made it up. It's pretty useful in a pinch." The older woman turned and looked at her daughter, and her eyes widened.

"Kiki! You're a mess! What happened?"

"Oh, this? I bumped into someone while I was carrying food for you guys, but it's no big deal," she shrugged, rubbing a wet, soup-scented collar against her neck with the movement.

"Well, when Retsu-san comes back, I'll ask her for some new robes."

"You're already on a first name basis with her?"

Hinata nodded with a smile, "Oh yes, she came back after you left. She's a very kind woman, perfect for her line of work."

"So, Yoshida, mom, did you guys sort everything out?" Akiko asked after several moments, not sure how to word her question.

"Yes. We'll tell you everything. You can sit here," she motioned to the same seat Akiko had occupied across the bed from Yoshida.

_**~*fLaShBaCk*~ **_

_A young girl with long, black hair and piercing emerald eyes lounged in her home, bored as usual. Hayashi Hinata was beautiful, and the only reason she hadn't married yet at the age of 22 was that her father was strict, and didn't approve of any of her suitors. She honestly didn't approve of them either, since they did nothing to cure her of her infinite boredom. Here in Tokushime, the Hayashi's, headed by her father Akio and her mother Eri, were the nobles. Sure, their status was minuscule compared to the big houses, such as the Kuchiki's or Shihouin's, who lived within the walls of Seireitei, but compared to the commoners of Rukongai, they were pretty well off. Her great great great grandfather had founded this city after discovering the lush grounds that could grow virtually any fruit. What started as a small, farming village, soon grew to become a sprawling garden that attracted many old, retired couples and young, new families. The land was inexpensive, and the yields were well worth it, providing everyone with ample food. All the land officially belonged to the Hayashi's, who acted as the landlords, receiving a tax from all its inhabitants. Because of their constant income, no one in her family had worked the fields for years, and preferred the simple life of pleasure in the small mansion on their 50 acre property teeming with wild fruit trees._

_On this, warm, humid day, Hinata decided to take a stroll in her personal gardens, located at the back of their property. They weren't officially hers, but she was the only one who enjoyed them fully, so she liked to call them her own. When she got there, however, she found she wasn't the only one taking advantage of nature's beauty._

_A man with dark, brown hair reclined against a peach tree, munching lazily on one of its many offspring. He noticed her, but said nothing._

_"What are you doing here?" she asked with a hand on her hip._

_"Eating a peach." After his obvious statement, he stood up, finishing his fruit, and Hinata's eyes widened at his height, so far his most striking feature. When he stepped into the sun, something even more noticeable caught Hinata's eyes: his deep, indigo eyes. She blushed._

_"Yes, but why _here._ This is private property."_

_"Oh, I'm sorry. There wasn't a fence, and I was pretty hungry, so when I saw the fruit, I just came in. Is that a problem?" His voice was very gentle, and she found it hard to be upset with him as she lowered her hand from her hip._

_"No, that's fine. If you're hungry, you could always come to my house for some food," _("Yeesh, mom, you sure are one fast roller..." Akiko interjected with an upturn of her eyes) _she smiled, her face still a bit flushed. The wind picked up, nudging her hair and kimono. Several plum blossoms fell from a nearby tree and danced around her small frame. It was then that Yoshida Daichi decided he'd marry this woman, this woman who he had just met, and who hadn't even introduced herself yet._

_At her home, Hinata learned a lot about this man. He was in the Kido Corps, training under the famous Tsukabishi Tessai and Ushoda Hachigen, of whom he spoke with utmost admiration. Yoshida Daichi was very passionate about training, and had been working hard lately, earning a recommended vacation. He didn't want to go, but his taichou insisted, and kido-ed him away without a second thought. After a light lunch, Hinata gave him a tour of the town, showing him all her favorite places. For the next few weeks, they were together, talking and enjoying the other's presence. What started as a kiss one night turned to confessions of love, then to much more. Then, Hinata tried to introduce her lover to her parents. They received him coldly, not recognizing his last name at all, but warmed up to him when they saw how his daughter looked at him, with big, bright eyes, and how he looked at her in the same way. Hinata was her daddy's little girl, and he wanted her to be happy, so he approved of their relationship. Both were ecstatic, of course, and planned to make their relationship official, but complications arose. He had to go back to Seireitei immediately, so within an hour of receiving a hell butterfly with the urgent message, he was gone, leaving only a promise to return and a tangling sensation on Hinata's lips._

_Within a week of his departure, Tokushime was attacked. The hollow rampaged throughout the town, leaving death in his wake, of the grass, plants, and trees, and even worse, of the inhabitants. No one there had been trained as a Shinigami; none even had a noticeable shred of reiryoku. When all seemed hopeless, a man in a captain's robe came. He easily cut down the beast, to the cheers of the remaining villagers. Hayashi Akio bowed to the man, and asked his name._

_"Kuchiki Ginrei," he replied, sheathing his sword. He was about to walk off when Hinata's father grabbed the bottom of his robe._

_"Please, Kuchiki-sama, my village is indebted to you, and the Hayashi's will repay this debt to the Kuchiki house. Anything you wish for in this village could be yours."_

_Ginrei looked around, then said, "I respect your offer, but the Kuchiki household has enough land and money."_

_"Then take me. I will be your personal servant till death." The old man seemed to consider this offer, but his thoughts were interrupted._

_"Father, no!" A young woman came to the bowed man's side, kneeling beside him in the dirt. "I, too, thank you for your heroism, and would like to offer up myself in my father's place. He is much older than me, so you would get many more years of service out of me than him," she said this kindly, in no way trying to insult her father. For a moment, she forgot about Daichi, and instead was solely focused on helping her village, and folloiwng the traditional ways of her family by repaying a debt with herself._

_He nodded, "Alright, if that is what you wish." She stood and took his extanded arm, and he flash stepped to Seireitei. Her mother cried for her daughter, and the life she would no longer be able to have. Akio comforted his wife, fighting emotions himself as he took on full responsibility of being the town's leader by calling everyone to clean up the mess the monster had left._

_Months after, Yoshida returned, ready to marry the woman he loved. But, she was gone. Her family's home had been deserted. Orchards and fields that once held such green fauna were barren. He found one remaining human, an old woman in a shop. She told him that everyone else had moved away, after a hollow killed many people and left the land unable to grow any type of plant for years. She had just come, and didn't know where they had gone, hearing the tale from a nearby village. He asked about the head family, namely their daughter, and the woman shook her head sadly._

_"I heard she had to sacrifice herself to save the town when the Hollow came."_

_Rage erupted from Yoshida. He left the woman's home quickly in fear that he would hurt her as Kido after Kido were unleashed from him as he yelled to the heavens. After that, he became a closed shell, hardly smiling or showing any emotion for anyone, even his superiors who he respected the most. He focused on his work, and when Ushoda was killed and Tsukabishi had turned from Soul Society, he moved up the ranks to Fuku Kidocho. _{Vice Kido Chief}

_Meanwhile, Hinata lived on, serving as a maid in the Kuchiki household. She had discovered that, though she was far from Daichi, she had a piece of him growing inside her, and she cherished her unborn baby with love. She gave birth to a small girl, with her mother's hair and her father's eyes. She longed to get out of the house to see Yoshida, who she knew couldn't be far from her in the Seireitei, but her master wouldn't allow her to leave, so she stayed, and over the years pushed him to the back of her mind, making her daughter who was named after Hinata's father the purpose behind her life._

Hinata finished her story which, beside one interruption, was told without further hindrance. Even while telling the sad tale, Hinata kept a smile on her face, as did Yoshida when he added parts from his own point of view. Akiko herself felt her emotions being tugged at, but while she was sad for the years these two lost together, she was happy that they met once again. Fate brought them to each other, and a cruel twist of it separated them, yet redeemed itself with this happy ending. Although, inside she knew that this was not the end for these two's love. Their story was an example of how love is timeless and patients, always ready when the moment comes. Akiko could only wish that she could find someone to share a life with like her parents had, and that wish filled her minds with thoughts of _him. _She blushed.

"What's wrong?" Daichi asked.

"N-nothing. Just thinking."

"About what?" her mother voiced her concern.

"Kuchiki Byakuya, I bet," Daichi nodded, speaking with conviction.

"What? Akiko, really?" Hinata was shocked.

"Hm? Now why would you say that?" Akiko laughed nervously and shrugged, "Well, we should probably get to bed now, huh?"

"Akiko, don't dodge the question. What's the matter? Is there anything you want to tell us? Now that you know my whole life story, I could catch up on yours," Hinata joked.

She looked at her hands in her lap sadly, "I'm sorry, but I think I've had enough stories for tonight, goodnight." She stood, quiet as only a soul could be, and went to the room she had rested in earlier as her parents looked on with confusion.

Hinata looked to Daichi, and he nodded, "I'll go check on her." He followed his daughter's steps and softly opened the door. The curtains were drawn, but the sun was still shining through enough to light the room. Akiko lay on the bed on her back with her hands folded over her stomach.

Tired of sitting, he remained standing as he spoke with the young girl. They talked of random things, mainly about life as a Shinigami, for several minutes, then he asked the important question: "What happened between you and Kuchiki Byakuya, if I may ask. He isn't one to just visit people in the hospital, especially on a whim. I heard what you said to him, and it didn't seem to friendly, yet something must've happened considering how you act when he's brought up."

With a sigh, Akiko sat up in her bed, drawing her knees to her chest. "I suppose I could tell you, but it's a long story, and it's pretty sad, like yours and mom's. But, this one doesn't have a happy ending."

"Yet," he interjected. She looked at him with a raised brow, but smiled.

"I doubt it, but I'll tell you anyway. I first met Byakuya when I was eight..."

* * *

Yay! Finally done! You know what this means... more flashbacks! Though these ones will have more relevance to our dear Akiko, though her parents' flashback wasn't too bad, was it? Alright, I will try to update when I can, but you know me! Actually, you don't, but you've probably gathered that I'm a slow updater! Also, the parents' flashback took place a few years before the Turn Back the Pendulum arc, which was about 101 years ago, I think. Gosh, keeping the timeline in check is tough work, since they like live forever! When I was writing the random scene with Gin, at first, I had Kira in there! Whoa... but he doesn't come till later, when Renji and Rukia and Momo and Akiko do! So, sorry for any OOTness (out of timeline). Haha! Silly me.


	5. Chapter 5

A young girl with less than a decade of life to her name lounged in one of the many courtyards hidden within the Kuchiki estate's sprawling grounds. She lazily picked at blades of grass, decapitating them from their roots with barely a pull. After a few yanks, though, she stopped when she realized that with each tug, it felt as if someone were ripping hair from her own head. Her mother sat nearby with a basin of water in front of her kneeling body, soaking then wringing clothes in a soapy solution before hanging them. This private garden—which was kept private for the sole purpose of being an outdoor laundry room in order that no guest should stumble upon the soiled clothes of the proud, stuffy Kuchiki family as they stop by for a visit—was located behind the servants' quarters, far from the hustle and bustle of the everday tasks each worker had to complete. As her mother hung soggy garment after soggy garment on a line, Akiko grew more and more bored with watching the completion of the monotonous chore. Since she was capable of walking, she had tried to help her mother in any way possible, but on account of her age and weak, scrawny arms, she was reduced to fulfilling simple tasks such as carrying empty baskets or fetching the broom.

"Mommy?" Her gentle voice sounded loud against the sloshing of the water in the tightly-woven wicker basket.

"Yes Kiki?"

"Can I go inside and play? I'm bored."

The older woman nodded, "Alright, dear, but stay out of trouble. Don't get in any worker's way, and stay away from the nobles."

The girl sprang up and skipped inside, passing through the servants' building in minutes, her shimmery, black mane bouncing up and down with each jump. Messy bangs failed to blur her vision and only succeeded in making her look more innocent and childish, an easy feat to acheive when the target was clad in the lightest and whitest of kimonos. Her feet remained bare, as she had left her sandals back with her mother, and, in her excitement, had forgetten them altogether.

She decided to play one of her favorite games which she liked to call "Invisible Akiko and the Monster People." She was rather proud of the name, and thought that it was vague enough to make the game more mysterious, though she had only played by herself till then. There weren't any other children born to the servants, and the girl, though young, knew her place and thus knew that she couldn't just ask any Kuchiki child to participate in a riveting game of any sort. Still, she was never lonely when wandering the halls of the manor, for this game proved to be both fun and challenging, capable of entertaining her for hours. The objective was simple: be "invisible" to all the "monsters" in the house, maid or lord, child or adult. Akiko would dart from room to room, hiding in closets or under furniture to avoid being seen by the owner of approaching footsteps. She even took the game so seriously that she would take long, complicated trips often involving windows and climbing to escape the perpetual gazes of portraits. To her, nothing could beat the rush of fooling an unkowing target into thinking they were alone in a room, and she would stifle her giggles when uptight nobles made crude noises comparable to those of the grossest of the servants.

On this day, she challenged herself with a particularly difficult playing field: the reception building. This arena consisted of numerous, over-decorated rooms with gilded, highly-embroidered furniture and was where the Kuchikis entertained guests. It was the main building, the one most people enter when visiting, and also where fancy banquets and formal balls were held. While there was no dance being held at the moment, there were still many guests chatting with the resident nobles. Footsteps echoed down the marble halls and reached her ears. Akiko barely escaped capture by retreating from her spot behind a chair to the spacious coat closet. Moments later, the current Kuchiki leader, Kuchik Ginrei, entered the parlor room accompanied by several other important-looking nobles and maids wielding teacups and tiny plates and a teapot.

"Have you decided who will be the next heir?"

"Yes, Shihoin, I have," Ginrei replied with a slow sip.

"Well? If you want an alliance between our clans, we need to know who shall marry who, and the sooner the better."

"Would the bride be Shihoin Yoruichi, or would the Kuchiki house provide the female partner?"

"Yes, she is already a prominent member of the Gotei 13, as you know, and has been of marrying age for some time now. She can be a bit rebellious, but I am sure we can persuade her to settle down and marry, depending on who the man is. So, you will produce the groom, for I, head of the Shihouin clan, have no sons."

"Well, we may have to wait a bit longer for this arrangement, for I have chosen Kuchiki Byakuya to be the next leader."

"What?" A clanging of glassware could be heard by Akiko through the wall. "A child? We have to wait _that_ long for the marriage? This is preposterous!"

"Keep your voice down in my house, Shihoin, we wouldn't want to startle anyone. I have not made known my intentions to anyone thus far."

"I can see why not! It's insane! Why can't you designate your son as the future leader?"

"I have three sons; all happily married sons at that. None could make the lasting bond of marriage to your family without going through a huge, scarring scandal that would besmirch the Kuchiki name."

There were whispers that Akiko strained to hear, but failed. Finally, "Alright, we shall wait. My daughter and your grandson will marry when he comes of age. In the meantime, he will be trained properly in order to take your place not only as Kuchiki head but as taichou of the sixth division, correct?" Even though it was a question, the tone was more demanding than curious. And with that, they left the parlor, their meeting only called for business, unlike the many get-togethers held by the Kuchiki women which consisted of gossip and giggles. She decided to leave her current hideout in favor of a more dangerous one, and went to the door. As her hand reached for the handle, it jiggled on the other side. Quick and quiet, she hid behind a long, purple cloak. The owner must have been very large, for it probably could have hidden several people behind its mass of beaded fabric. The door opened then closed, and she tried to silence her breathing, which proved to be nearly impossible with her increased heart rate. Whoever entered froze, as if listening for something, then continued down the row of cloaks. The footsteps eventually faded, which she interpreted as meaning the intruder went down the next aisle. Seeing this as her only chance to escape, she decided to make her way to the door and slip out unseen, but before she could even come out from behind the large robe, something tickled the back of her neck.

"What are you doing?" A young boy whispered from behind her, each word sending a puff of air toward her.

She jumped up with a tiny squeak of a scream, and withdrew herself from her not-so-hidden spot. Now out in the open, she watched as a child—she assumed it was a boy by the slightly deeper voice—also stepped out from behind the huge cloak. The lighting in the closet was poor, but she was able to make out that the boy was probably around her age, barely taller than her. There was a slight rustling noise as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Well?" He asked in annoyance.

"Huh?"

"I asked you a question. What are you doing?"

Judging by his superior tone and young age, Akiko painted this boy to be a noble. But, why would he be in the coat closet when he could send any servant to fetch his coat whenever he needed? She was curious, but she also didn't want to get in any trouble. In her mind, Akiko debated her choices: tell the truth, or lie her way out. Deciding on the former, she said, "I was playing a game."

"What kind of game involves hiding in a closet?" He asked incredulous.

"It's a complicated game. I don't know if someone like yourself could handle it."

"Tch. I could take any silly game of yours."

"I dunno, it may be too much for a _boy._"

"Oh? Like a girl could beat me at anything? Fine. Show me how to play. But, let's get out of this cramped closet." He brushed past her, then exited the closet via the only door. She followed closely behind, shutting the door quietly. Luckily, no one was around to witness their relocation.

"Huh, what do you know? You're kinda cute." The young master gazed intently at a now furiously blusing Akiko, then laughed at her expression. Most of my girl relatives have typical, sharp Kuchiki features, and aren't very attractive. But, you aren't all... angular and pointy. I like you! What's your name? Who're your parents?"

"Pardon me, Kuchiki-sama, but I am not of any relation to the Kuchikis"—although technically, the Hayashi family tree finds it roots in a distant branch of the flourishing Kuchiki bloodline.

"What do you mean? You have the Kuchiki hair and everything." To prove this, he stepped closer to the red-faced girl and drew a lock of her hair to his. They were indistinguishable from the other.

She hastily pulled her hair back and separated herself from the noble. "No, you see, my mother, Hinata is a... maid in your home. I was just playing since I'm too young to actually help." She braced herself, expecting a slap or a sarcastic remark from her master for daring to fratenize with someone of much higher status than her. When nothing came, she looked back up at the boy, who was staring down the hall with blank eyes; this glazed look disappeared with a blink, and a mischevous light twinkled in his big, grey eyes.

"Alrighty then, let's get to this game of yours. And, are you deaf? I asked you your name. Mine's Kuchiki Byakuya."

_So this is the next heir to the Kuchiki throne,_ Akiko thought in wonder. To believe that a mere child would soon hold so much power—it was nearly impossible for her to fully comprehend, so instead she shook her head and smiled. "I'm Hayashi Akiko, Kuchiki-sama."

"Call me Byakuya. I'm sick of formalities. Everyone who comes to play with me is so fake and uptight. I just want to play, got it?"

Akiko raised her hands defensively and with a nervous laugh said, "Sure, sure, Kuya-kun!"

"Hey! I didn't say you could give me some lame nickname..." he pondered for a bit. "Bakiko!" He thought himself clever for combining "baka" with "Akiko", but she didn't seem to notice.

She seemed completely crestfallen. "I thought Kuya was pretty funny... but, if you don't like it..." she sniffed.

"Wait! Are you... _crying? _Oh, please don't!" Being a boy in an awkward situation, he cringed at the emotional display. He patted her back, "Uh, there there?"

Then she laughed and tweaked his nose. "You're it!" She took off down the hall, leaving a confused Byakuya behind.

He soon regained his composure and cried out with his usual competitive spirit, "Hey! Get back here!" He pulled his hair up with a ribbon and followed the girl. After several minutes of chasing her, he finally managed to corner her. In an unneccesarily slow movement, he poked her forehead, then put his hands on his hips in a triumphant manner. "Ha! I've won! Now what will you do?" He threw back his head and laughed, only stopping when Akiko tapped him on the back. He turned around to see that she was now between him and the open hallway.

"You're it!" she giggled, just before darting back down the hall.

"Aw, man!" He groaned but then resumed his pursuit. Many exchanges of the degrading "It" position later, both children stopped and sat down, breathing heavily from the exercise.

"So, what's this game of yours?" Byakuya asked between breaths.

"It's called 'Invisible Akiko and the Monster People', but with you here, it'll have to be 'Invisible Akiko and Sorta Hidden Byakuya and the Monster People', or I.A.S.H.B.M.P."

"I ash ba mup?"

"Yup!" she cheered.

"What do you do?"

"Well, the objection is to stay invisible to everyone in the manor. We'll be a team, I guess. I've never actually played with anyone else before, so we'll just have to see how it goes like that. it's like hide-and-seek, but if you get caught, they'll eat you!"

"I think you mean 'objective'. And I doubt they'll eat us."

She huffed, "Well, you're obviously just a scaredy baby! Aw..." she cooed, "Is wittle Yaku-chan ascared?"

"That's not even a word, and I'm not scared! Alright, we're going to the private rooms in the next building!"

She paled. She was strictly forbidden to enter that area. She could only imagine how much trouble she'd be in if she was caught playing with a _noble_ in the private _rooms_. She could always claim that he ordered her to play, but she would still receive most of the punishment while her new friend would make it out unscathed. "I dunno if we should, Byakuya. I may get in trouble..."

"Now who's the scaredy cat? You'll only get in trouble if you get caught, and we won't get caught."

"Fine... I suppose we can," never one to take an insult lightly, Akiko defiantly rose and led the way to the private housing area. Though she hadn't ever been inside, she knew exactly where the building was, and after scaling a few short walls and crawling through gardens, they arrived outside Byakuya's window unseen. He heaved himself over the sill then helped Akiko in. He now led the way and guided the troop of two down halls and past closed doors. There weren't many people, but the novelty of being on a forbidden playing field made every move seem that much more dangerous. They heard footsteps and hid inside an armoire, waiting till the foe retreated before they spoke.

"I have an idea," he said with an grin, though it went unseen in the dark.

"What?"

"Follow me, we'll see how gramps is doing." Slowly opening the door to silence any creaky hinges, Byakuya left the armoire, then waited for Akiko to follow suit. Again they made their way down corridor after corridor, only stopping when they were threatened by an approaching figure. "Here we are," he said at last, beaming up at a huge red door. He put his ear to the thin barricade and, hearing nothing, slid open the large portal. He froze at what he saw. There, back to the entrance, sat his grandfather, Ginrei himself, the powerful taichou of the sixth division and Kuchiki clan leader. His breath caught in his throat as he strived to truly become invisible. Akiko was clutching his robe tightly, silently quivering behind him. He also knew that they couldn't get caught, or else she would get in a ton of trouble, and that was something he wouldn't want for his new playmate. Suddenly, footsteps resounded in the hallway. Ginrei's room was at the end of a long, twisting path, so the footstepper _had _to have been coming to see the old man. If they turned back, they would run into the man or woman, and they would most likely alert Ginrei of the young intruders. Their only option was to enter Ginrei's room and hide in a closet then make their escape later, maybe when he left or turned in for the night, if they had to wait that long.

Akiko tugged at his robe, trying to make him aware of the situation. He nodded, then crept into the room, shutting the door behind him. It took only seconds for both to settle themselves in the front closet, but to them those tense moments felt like years. As Byakuya shut the closet door, a knock at the first door sounded.

"Who is it?" Ginrei asked.

"Just me, father," said a kind, female voice. "May I visit with you?"

"Of course, Hana-chan." The door slid open, much louder than when Byakuya had stealthily entered.

"How have you been, father? I've heard some... unsettling things from my handmaid."

"About?" He took a slow sip of tea.

"The Kuchiki heir." At this Byakuya strained his neck closer to the door in order to better hear his grandfather.

"And how would your maid know of these matters?"

"I do not know, but the servants are usually the first to know things, so I do not doubt it. Why didn't you pick Sojun?"

"I would have, but the Shihoins wish to make a marriage arrangement to the head of the clan. Sojun is married with children, so there is no reason to break up him and his lovely wife to strengthen our family. While I normally strive to gain power for the Kuchiki family, ending a lifelong promise as sacred as marriage would bring dishonor to them and all their descendants."

"But why pick—"

"Silence! We mustn't speak of this matter now. The walls have ears. Or should I say," he paused then rose from his chair. He approached the closet and slid it open, Byakuya falling to his feet when the surface he was leaning against suddenly moved. "The _closets_ have ears." Hana gasped at the sight of her young nephew. "What are you doing, young man? Nobles don't hide in closets." It was then that he noticed the shivering figure behind his extra shihakushos. "Who is this?"

"Uh." Byakuya stammered. "This is Kuchiki Akiko, she's visiting and we were just playing a game."

"I see. Akiko?"

"Y-yes, Kuchiki-sama?"

"Could you please come out?" She followed his orders timidly, and stood in front of him, staring straight at the ground. He lifted her face with a rough hand. "Well, she looks like a Kuchiki. Who are your parents?" He released some of his reiatsu to intimidate her, and succeeded. Now trembling, she looked to Byakuya for help. He rose and pushed his grandfather's hand away from Akiko.

"Alright, I lied, but it was all my idea! She had nothing to do with it."

"So who is she really?"

Neither wished to answer that question, but after a sudden flare of reiatsu that sent both children to their knees, Akiko cried out, "I'm sorry, Kuchiki-sama! My mother is employed here in your household!"

"Who is your mother?"

"Hayashi Hinata sir, but please, don't punish her. She didn't do anything. It was me."

"I think I do recall her. Well, young lady, I assume you know the punishment for intruding the private dwellings without permission?"

"Grandfather! I gave her permission. We met earlier today, and I ordered her to play with me!"

"Byakuya, are you defending a slave? Well, then, since you have taken such an interest in her well-being, you may carry on. But don't get too attached to trash, for one day it will have to be thrown out. Leave. Now." And on that note, the children sprang up and left the room as fast as their legs could take them. They found themselves in Byakuya's room both panting heavily with Akiko near tears.

"I think I should go, Kuchiki-sama."

"What? Why?"

"We're just too far apart. We can't be friends, no matter how much I want to be."

"But Ginrei just said that we could 'carry on'. I really don't care about your status—you're the only person I've had actual fun with in a long time."

She paused. "Really?"

"Yes, really."

With a laugh, she said, "Alright, then I'll keep playing with you, Yaku-kun, but I'm picking _where_ we play next time. I'd better get back though, my mom is probably wondering where I am. If she found out I was playing with a noble, she'd probably punish me worse than Kuchiki-sama!"

"Uh, who?"

"Kuchiki-sama," she repeated.

He sighed and smacked his face with his palm, "We're all 'Kuchiki-sama'."

"Oh, I meant Kuchiki Ginrei-taichou-sama."

"Alright, just call him Kuchiki-taichou." He rolled his eyes. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Hey, who do you think they were talking about it there? The heir?"

"Oh, I dunno. If he didn't pick Sojun-sama, then he'd probably pick some nephew or something."

He seemed crestfallen, "So you don't think he'd pick me?"

"Oh! Well, maybe. I'm not much informed on house politics, but it's possible. If they want the heir to marry someone though, they'd have to wait a while if they picked you."

He sighed again, this one filled with sadness rather than exasperation, "You're right. It's silly. I was born at the wrong time to be named heir."

Not wanting to reveal how much she knew while also wanting to support her friend, Akiko struggled over the right words, "Well, do you want to be the heir? I'm sure you could make a great one, but do you really want to get married to someone you don't know? I mean, that's not really romantic to not marry for love. And, you're not like other nobles—you seem to want to be free. That responsibility would tie you down, you know?"

"To respond: yes, I do want to be named heir; of course I'd be a good leader; no, girls have cooties; no romance is gross; yes, I do wish to be less restrained; and kind of, as leader I could make my own rules."

"Well, I think if Kuchiki-taichou could see your views, he would pick you. Maybe all the Kuchiki house needs is a fresh perspective and a change of your—pardon me saying—old-fashioned ways."

He pondered her words for a minute, then said, "Ya, but Ginrei himself is old-fashioned. I don't know if he'd want a change at all." With a shrug, he stood, then helped Akiko to her feet. "Well, I'm hungry. Let's eat!"

"Did you not hear what I just said? I need to head back—"

"Aw, come on! Just eat, and then you can go."

"Fine, where are we going?"

"... the dining hall, of course."

"What? I can't eat in the Kuchiki dining hall with a Kuchiki! It's forbidden."

"Almost as forbidden as hiding in a Kuchiki closet with a Kuchiki?"

"... You have a point. But, people will know I'm not really a noble by my clothes."

"You're right, well you can borrow my cousin's clothes, they'll fit."

"And by borrow you mean..."

"Steal, borrow without permission—same thing really. Come on, her room is this way." He peered around his door then strolled toward the aforementioned room, meeting no one on the way there. "Her and her family took a short vacation to their summer estate, and she probably left some clothes here." Sure enough, when they came upon her room, the closet was filled with formal gowns and elegant kimonos. Akiko's mouth lay wide open as she took in all the splendor, not just of the clothes, but of the room. It was lavishly decorated like Byakuya's, but instead of dark, muted tones, it was primarily colored pink. All the furniture resembled fur coats dyed a rosy tint, with gold armrests or headboards peeking out from the fluff. The vanity was brightly lit as the sun shone through the window directly on it, the gems of various accessories and hairpieces sparkling in the light.

"Wow. Who is your cousin?"

"Just a typical Kuchiki girl: super girly and boring. Here," he plucked an outfit from the closet and tossed it to her. "Try this on."

The robe was beautiful, of fine cloth that Akiko had only heard of and seen from afar: silk. The predominantly purple garment boasted gold embroidery along the cuffs and neckline, with delicate gold streams forming an abstract swirl pattern down the body. Akiko retreated behind a folding screen and changed, the fabric tickling her bare skin. The sash that went around her waist was much larger than any she had tied before, so she shyly asked Byakuya to assist her. He complied, then smiled at the transformed girl.

"There, now you look just like any Kuchiki, minus the ugly face. To complete the look," he flourished a pair of gold slippers and an exotic hairpiece. Akiko slipped on the thin shoes and regarded the comb. She tucked it into her hair behind her ear, not quite sure how else to wear it. It featured a large lily with soft, fake petals shooting out from a diamond center. Instead of sepals, there were soft, purple feathers with sparkling tips, more diamond, Akiko assumed. Though it sparkled with each movement, she wouldn't describe it as tawdry, for it shone in its own classy way.

"I feel odd dressing up so nicely just to eat. I mean, you're just wearing a plain robe!"

"Well, girls always overdo things, so you're fine. Besides, no friend of mine would be caught in a simple robe!"

"But I've already been caught in a simple robe."

"Well, let's go!" He ignored her comment and grabbed her by the hand. Dragging her through gardens and doorways, they soon came to a private dining room with a dark, wooden table, big enough for eight. He sat at the head, and Akiko sat at his right.

"So. Now what?" She asked in anticipation, rather than out of impatience.

"Just wait." As soon as he said this, an aged servant dressed in black appeared at the door. He bowed low. "Good afternoon, Kuchiki-sama and guest. What would you like for lunch?"

"I want some somen, and some fish, and onigiri, and... shabu-shabu. Anything else, Akiko?" The servant looked up when he heard the familiar name. Even dressed finely, he could recognize the girl that belonged to Hinata, a fellow servant. He glared at the imposter, though it went unnoticed by Byakuya.

She flushed, unaccustomed to ordering others, "No, that is fine."

"Alright, Kuchiki-sama and guest. I shall bring you your food in a few minutes."

"Good. You are dismissed," the man complied and left. When he did, Akiko whispered in a panic.

"Byakuya, I think that man recognized me! I probably look like an imposter right now!"

"Don't worry, I can always fire him if he gives you any trouble."

"But, then what would he do for work?"

He shrugged, "Who knows." His tone was uncaring, and Akiko realized it would take a lot to get used to this boy who had never experienced hardship or loss, instead always getting what he wanted. "How old are you?" he asked.

"Um. Eight. But I'm turning nine soon."

"How soon?"

She counted on her fingers. "Nine days." He seemed to count down the days in his head.

"Your birthday is Valentine's Day?"

"Yup, February 14." After several silent moments, Byakuya spoke up.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to ask me anything?"

"Oh! Sorry. Um. How old are you?"

"I'm ten and a half," he boasted. "My birthday was January 31."

"Oh, that was pretty recent. Happy birthday," she smiled. "But wait, that was just five days ago. Five days doesn't equal half a year. You're just ten."

"No, you're only ten on your birthday, and since it's over now, I'm ten and a half," he beamed at his cleverness while Akiko rolled her eyes.

"That's lame. Whatever."

"You're just jealous 'cause you're a little kid!"

"Hey! I'm not little!" she huffed.

He continued taunting her till the man returned with a tray filled with food on silver platters. He set these in front of the children. Akiko thanked him, but Byakuya ignored the service and proceeded to devour his share. "Oh, could you bring some shichimi?" He asked between bites.

"Of course, young master." With a bow, he left to gather the spice. Byakuya didn't eat anything till the man came back and set the container in front of him."

"Will that be all?"

"No, we want dessert. Cake. Don't make it too sweet." He wrinkled his nose.

"Yes, Kuchiki-sama." Again he left, leaving the children alone. After pouring shichimi all over the food, Byakuya continued with his mouth stuffing. Akiko gingerly ate, receiving a shock from the hotness of all the food.

"Ack!" she gagged, "What is this? My mouth is on fire!" She flailed her arms, now noticing a lack of beverages at the table.

He laughed, "So, you can't handle spice?"

She glared, "Of course I can! I've just never tasted this before! Most food I have is pretty bland, ya know."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot that you're a maid. Your ravishing beauty makes me lose my train of thought," he gazed at her dreamily with his elbows on the table and his head in his hands.

She blushed, this time not just from the spice, "What are you talking about? You're weird."

He laughed again, "Yup, but teasing you is just too fun! If you can handle it, dig in!" He said with a wave of his hand over the food.

Akiko ate, slowly at first, but she soon warmed up to the taste of the spice on her tongue—no pun intended. She actually found that she liked the flavor, especially on such finely prepared food.

After eating, the two friends parted ways, Byakuya retiring to his room and Akiko rejoining her mother who was scrubbing walls. She was greeted with a warm smile and a curious "What did you do today?"

"Oh, nothing much."

On the other side of the estate, Byakuya was forced to take tea with his father Sojun. "So, Byakuya, what did you do today?"

"Oh, nothing much."

* * *

**Man, this flashback turned out longer than expected, so I'm splitting it into... 2 parts! :O Haha, so join me eventually for part deux of Akiko's awesome younger years with the ever-attractive Byakuya! :D And special thanks to my reviewer im a kitty that luvz sweets (awesome name, by the way)! Here's another cutesy flashback for ya! Haha! :D Byakuya is such a little flirt! ;D And, if he seems OC, remember that he used to be much more temperamental as kid, not as cold and mean. -_-**


	6. Chapter 6

**So, I already said this in my other story, but... sorry for the uber long delay! School + soccer + basketball + guys (well, one guy to be exact) + prom planning = ultimate stress and no time for story writing. :[ But, I will make time, because you people out there rock my socks off! :D ... I'm not even wearing socks! O: Dang, you guys are quick! ;]**

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The next day Akiko rose at her usual early hour and helped her mother carry small, cleaned articles of clothing to the rooms of their respective owners. Her feeble arms could not bear the load easily, so she often slowed down or stopped completely to regain the slipping pieces. Soon enough, she fell far behind and lost sight of Hinata completely. Like any sensible young girl, she began to scream and whine loudly, though her mother never returned. After a short crying session, she stood and became determined to get out. See, this wouldn't have been a problem if they had taken the usual route for the servants, the halls laid out within the estate, rarely crossing with the main corridors so as not to offend the nobles. No, they were in the underground passages, a labyrinth of underground trails criss-crossing below the rooms in order to ensure ultimate privacy for the richer residents. No Kuchiki would want to take the chance of being seen in scandalous undergarments or with evidence of having had scandalous relations the previous night by a wandering servant! Akiko, being young, had no idea what those exactly meant, so she saw the whole system as pointless. The tunnels were made during the First House Wars centuries ago, and some maids still stumbled upon skeletons and old weapons, while some lucky ones found riches enough to buy their freedom or quit their employment and thrive in Rukongai.

Setting her pile down, she ran down her current path, taking random turns with little thought. Luckily, there were reiryoku-powered lamps placed about ten paces apart along all the walls. She realized hers had been a poor plan, however, when she stumbled over her once tidy stack of clothes, back where she had started her frantic run. A slight scrape on her knee was the only evidence of her crash once she brushed off the dirt from her short, green-blue robe. This time around, she kept a hand on the right wall and dug notches in the dirt with her sandal to mark her trail every few steps, especially marking the turns. She turned down a hall with a steep incline to see an out-of-place door, and with a delighted gasp she sprinted forward, throwing it open and taking a gulp of fresh air. She realized that she was now outside, the door hidden on the other side by several vines overhanging the rock it was set in.

Curious as ever, she peeked through the vines, recognizing the babbling fountain of the Kuchiki's lovely Autumn Garden. She realized that she had wandered to the other side of the estate from her quarters, and it would take her a long time to get back. While she hadn't taken the time to study the layout of the underground, she knew the map of the area above like the back of her hand. The only route from here to her destination was either through the personal chambers of the highest ranked noblemen and women or through the old training grounds. She picked the latter, assuming that it would be empty, as it usually was ever since the new grounds were installed with a state-of-the-art design and modern weapons and other facilities.

She crept through the lush grasses, ducking under untrimmed branches and vines till she made it to the end. The training grounds were just through the stone arch, and then she'd be close to the kitchen, which neighbored the servants' rooms. She would wait for her mother to return, and probably get scolded for losing the laundry, but she didn't care as long as she got home.

The sounds of panting and incoherent words reached her ears before she saw who was producing them. She kept out of sight, low against the weeds that rested beside the walls encircling the grounds. She hoped that her green cover would continue to block her the whole way, but it soon ended, just a few steps away from the exit. Akiko shut her eyes tight and prayed, then, holding her breath, she charged the last bit of space to the archway. After a few steps, she felt herself being plucked up from the ground by a strong force. Her legs kept running in the air for a bit, but she stopped when she realized she wasn't getting anywhere. The force lifted her a bit higher and turned her to face itself.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Asked a tall man with plain features. His stature was gargantuan, and Akiko found his breath on her face very distasteful. "Who are you?"

All she could do was squeak due to how intimidated she felt in his presence.

"Akiko?" asked a familiar voice. She turned and sure enough, there was Byakuya with a confused look in his eyes but a genuinely happy smile as well. "What are you doing here?"

"I was wondering the exact same thing," mused the trainer. "Is she your... _friend_, Kuchiki-sama?" He asked Byakuya with an eyebrow waggle. Akiko blushed, understanding his not-so-subtle insinuations, but Byakuya merely raised a brow.

"Yes, she's my friend, and I would appreciate if you set her down this instant," he commanded.

"Oh! Of course! My apologies, ma'am," he stammered as he gently placed her on the ground, patting her head gently.

"Er, thank you," she brushed off the dirt from her robe as she looked to Byakuya for further assistance.

"Yes, well, I suppose we are done with training for the day. You are dismissed."

The man looked as if he wanted to argue, but he kept his mouth shut and merely bowed low once more before shunpoing away.

"Thank you. Sorry to bother you with that and cut your training," Akiko wrung her hands, not sure what to do now.

"No problem. I wasn't learning much anyway. We were going over shunpo basics." He rolled his eyes.

"Shunpo? What is that?"

"You've never heard of it! Well, I guess it's no surprise due to your upbringing. Do you know what Shinigami are?"

"Of course! I'm not _that_ uncultured."

He held up his hands in defense at her sudden angry tone. "I didn't say that! Anyway, shunpo is this technique they, well, we, use. It's kind of like teleportation and it's super quick, like this."

One moment, Byakuya was there, and the next he wasn't. Akiko gasped in delight. "That's amazing! How do you do it?" She attempted to look for her friend, but to no avail.

"Boo," he whispered next to her ear. Akiko jumped and giggled, and soon Byakuya was laughing with her.

"That's super cool! Can all shinigami do it?"

"Most can, but, you know, I'm pretty good compared to others," he smirked confidently.

"For sure! And you're so young too! Kuchiki-taichou would be silly to not name you heir!" Akiko didn't realize it, but her excessive praise, which she bestowed honestly, was greatly impacting Byakuya.

"Yes, well, erm, of course. That's what I do," he spoke with less confidence, and red was starting to cover his cheeks. There was silence for a few moments, but Akiko broke it.

"Are you okay?"

"Hm? Er, yes, why wouldn't I be?" he asked nervously.

"Well, you're red. Maybe it's the heat?" she suggested.

"Yes! Definitely the heat. We should get inside, don't you think?" He let out a forced laugh, and Akiko raised her brow. "Actually! I'm quite alright. Would you like me to teach you some stuff?"

Her face brightened and she gasped, "Would you? That would be incredible! Thank you!" Byakuya laughed at her enthusiasm, but soon became serious as he tried to instruct her.

"So, the way I was taught is, you have to concentrate your reiatsu and force it to be in another place, where you want to go. Try and be as detailed as possible with your mental image, picture the spot as if you're already there."

Akiko tried and strained her brain, but couldn't quite get it. "This is hard," she pouted.

He chuckled, "Don't worry, even I couldn't get it on my first try. It takes practice. What spot were you aiming for—" He stopped midsentence as Akiko shunpoed before his very eyes. He sensed her and turned just in time to see her reappear, with very shaky footing.

"That... was crazy!" she yelled.

He laughed again, then stepped over to her and tried to help her stand. They walked towards a bench where he set her down, her legs flopping like jell-o. "How can you do that constantly, in battle, then be okay after?" she asked exasperated.

"Practice," he replied simply. "But, hey, at least you got it! You'll be a shinigami in no time!"

Akiko laughed. "Don't be silly! I have much more to learn, you know."

"Well, maybe you could train with me?"

She was shocked, but managed to speak. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we could."

"Why not?"

She laughed, a sad, short laugh. "You just don't get it, Byakuya. I'm not trying to be mean, and I want to be friends, but you and me? Friends? Your family won't have it. I know that one day, you'll have to stop hanging out with me, and you will since you'll be heir. It happens all the time. And it may be better if we end it before then, you know?"

Byakuya stared off for a moment, then spoke. "You certainly talk negative and about big things for a little kid. Come on, let's go play for a bit. Someone new is coming to train me, my father sent for them, and we can train together then."

Akiko sighed as Byakuya stood up. He helped her, then, with a kind smile he said, "Don't worry about it. We'll always be good friends, whether I'm the heir or not. I won't leave you."

And, foolishly, she believed him.

* * *

"So, father, that's my story. Hope you enjoyed I'm going to bed goodnight," rushed Akiko after her re-telling of her past (although with less detail and emotion as the one you heard).

"Wait, wha—" Daichi tried to interject, but was quickly pushed out of the room by his daughter. He knew there was so much more she wasn't telling him, but he didn't wish to hurt her by forcing the truth to be told. With a shrug, he walked to Hinata's room to say goodnight, but she was sound asleep. He left a note telling her where she could find him (and move in with him, if she so wished), and that he would want to spend a lot of time with Akiko getting to know her. With parting words of love, and a soft kiss to the woman's forehead, he shunpoed away, with a lot on his mind concerning his newly discovered family.

* * *

The next morning, Akiko woke to a knock on her door. She rolled out of bed, literally, and bumped her butt on the hard ground.

"Ow..." she groaned while rubbing her now sore bottom. Daichi threw open the door.

"Are you okay? I thought I heard something fall!"

"No, just me, I guess. What are you doing here?"

"I came to say good morning. I brought you some breakfast and your Academy uniform. Today's the big day!"

Her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! Of course! I completely forgot!" she looked at her bedside clock and bolted up, completely shocked and with a pained tailbone. "It's already eleven! I don't think I've ever slept in this much in my entire life! I'm gonna be late!" Her nervous habit (the arm flailing one, if you recall) amused Daichi as he tried to get her to calm down.

"Hey hey hey. It'll be okay. I've already told the teacher. Some 'pressing family issues' popped up, so you're off the hook. Just slow down, eat your food, and change. I'll be back in a bit." He left, setting her clothes on a chair and her food tray in her arms. She sat and complied, finishing her morning routine in minutes. Her hair was in its usual style, two low buns, but she felt like a complete mess. After her father had left, she cried over the untold remainder of her story. But, she shook off the feeling. She had to be strong, especially on this day; she had to prove herself, to him, her parents, and to most importantly, she had to prove to herself that she had made the right decision in resigning. She threw on her clothes and sighed, a bit upset that she couldn't make a good impression on her first day.

There was a knock again. "Come in," she said, assuming it was Daichi. She was correct, and she came face to face with a typical beaming father.

"Oh my! My little girl's all grown up! And it's you first day of the Academy! Oh! I need a camera!" In his flustered state, Akiko realized where she got her flailing habit from. She surpressed her giggles and managed to stop Daichi's movements with a swift flick to the head.

"We should be going now, I hurried so that I wouldn't be late my first day. We've got thirty minutes."

He regained his composure, "Alright, let's just say goodbye to your mother and we'll be on our way." She nodded and then they shunpoed to outside her mother's door. Sure, they could've walked there in a few seconds, but Daichi insisted that she practice her technique. They knocked and entered when a soft voice responded a cheery greeting. "Good morning, Hinata," Daichi was practically beaming, a look which Hinata returned. Part of Akiko wanted to go "awwww... 3" while the other part wanted to puke. These were her parents after all, parents who just so happened to be making lovey dovey eyes at each other in front of their daughter. She cleared her throat to break up the practically palpable passion {dang! alliteration! :D try saying that five times fast!}, and they looked up, Hinata embarassed, but Daichi completely shameless with a goofy grin.

"Hey mom, so we're leaving. Do you have any plans for today?"

"No, Daichi said he would take me around on a tour, I believe my treatments are working, I feel quite energized for the first time in a long time."

Akiko held a soft smile. While Unohana couldn't guarantee a full cure, she was grateful that the healer could give her whole family hope that they would no longer be strained by Hinata's disease. "Alright, I hope you have fun."

"I'm sure I will. And good luck today. I know that you are very gifted. You get your talents from your father, of course, and I know that this is what will make you happy, so I hope you go at it with your whole heart."

"Of course," she said as she moved to her mother's side to hug her. In the embrace, she noticed that her mother's grip was much less frail than before, so she returned it with even more vigor. She pulled away after several moments.

"Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes, Hinata." Daichi delivered a swift kiss to Hinata's cheek then shunpoed away, Akiko copying each of his steps. She kept up with him easily this time, and, noticing this, he lengthened his strides, forcing her to follow suit. Before long they were on the inside of the western gate, where just yesterday she had called to her father in desparation as her mother lay dying. So much had happened in just one day; she had revisited emotions she had long wished to abandon. Daichi looked up and waved at an approaching figure. "Hey! Onabara-san! Good morning!" he shouted. Akiko would certainly have to get used to her father's enthusiasm. He was so unlike her mother who went about everything with grace and serenity, but she supposed that they loved each other for the balance the other brought.

"Good morning, Yoshida. Who might this be?" The large man bowed slightly, more out of general greeting than respect.

"This is the girl I was telling you about. I can tell she's gifted, like her parents," he smirked.

"It's nice to meet you, Gengoro-sama," nodded Akiko.

"And you too. Your eyes seem very familiar, do I know your parents?"

She looked to Daichi, not sure if this knowledge should be made known so soon. But she got her answer when he spoke up. "You're lookin' at one of them," he said beaming.

Gengoro looked shocked. "I didn't know you had a daughter!"

"Neither did I, till last night."

"And her mother...?" Gengoro pried, curious but trying not to appear too nosy.

"In the fourth squad barracks. She wasn't feeling too great. I'll introduce you two later, okay?"

"That would be delightful. Any woman who would love you must certainly be a unique one to meet, for sure." He let out a loud guffaw, so unlike his serious face. Daichi soon joined in, his laugh a bit less outlandish in its loudness. After a minute of fun, the teacher became serious again. He turned to Akiko. "Don't think that because I am friends with your father that I will go easy on you. In fact, now I expect much more out of the daughter of the Fuku Kidochi."

"Aw, don't be too hard on her. It's only her first day," Daichi chuckled.

Gengoro smiled warmly, "Don't worry, I will take good care of her. Now, shouldn't you be heading off to see your lovely wife, or something? I think I can manage bringing your daughter to my own class."

"Oh, right! Of course. Thank you," he paused for a moment. "Er, goodbye Akiko, good luck." After a bit of hesitation, he patted her head, unsure if they were yet close enough for a closer familial gesture.

"Thanks, see you later... dad," she also felt awkward, but he gave a relieved smile which she couldn't help but mirror, and then he was gone.

"Well, I never thought he had it in him! So you just barely found out he was your father?" They began walking toward the Academy.

"Yes, although I met him a week ago at the exams. He seems quite happy with the discovery already, for which I am glad. It may be a bit awkward warming up to it, though."

Gengoro nodded. "Yes, he seemed brighter than he has in ages. Decades ago, he went into quite the slump, and only recently has been able to make conversation without lashing out." He stopped. "Oh! Looks like we're here! My aide will let the others in, so we can just wait in your new classroom I supppose."

Being the first one there, Akiko could pick any seat. She chose one in the middle against the right wall, Gengoro's right that is when he would be taking lectures.

"So, I never got your name," he said while clacking out four familiar words on the chalkboard: Hakuda, Hoho, Zanjutusu, Kido.

"It's Hayashi Akiko."

"And your mother?"

"Hayashi Hinata."

"Ah yes, I've heard of the Hayashi clan, though recently they haven't been very prominent. They left their village and it's all quite mysterious." Akiko merely nodded. "They are noble, no?"

"Well, kind of. They branched off from the Kuchiki clan centuries ago, so it's not like they're one of the four clans or anything."

"I see! Well, it seems like they're here!" As he said that, a young man, she assumed it was Gengoro's assistant teacher opened the door at the back of the room. Men and women strolled, all wearing their uniforms either red or blue. Akiko quickly spotted Renji and Rukia and waved them over. They also brought two more people, a petite woman and an average-looking man. They were introduced to be Hinamori Momo and Izuru Kira, but before further niceties could be made, Gengoro made everyone sit down.

"Welcome to the Spiritual Arts Academy. I am Gengoro Onabara, and I will be your teacher for the next six years."

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**Whew! Finally done! So, hopefully I can start cranking out more chapters, as I've found a bit more time on my hands. :] As usual, rates and reviews appreciated, but not required. Oh, and I bet you thought I would reveal all of her past! Mwuahahaha...no! All will be revealed in due time... Let me know what you think of cute little Byakuya! I luff him, honestly :D**


	7. Chapter 7

The first class passed without a hitch, Akiko was sure Gengoro had performed this symphony countless times. He flawlessly delivered his speech on the true meaning of being a Shinigami, and the untold powers they could possess with practice. After a very poignant lecture, he went into the basics of the four fighting types he had written on the board.

"Hakuda is hand-to-hand combat. While many of you may have already had some experience with this, it takes much practice in order to apply it well in the appropriate situations demanding quick reflexes and strength. We will practice this the first quarter of this year as the hands-on portion, in addition to book studies." There were a few groans from the students at the mention of "book studies," but they were shot down by chilling glares from the teacher.

"Hoho concerns your footspeed and overall agility. Mastering this will make all the other fighting methods much easier and more applicable in battle, thus we will have training sessions for this continuously in order that you all will remain quick and agile in movement."

"Zanjutsu is the art of the sword, what most Shinigami are known for. Most Shinigami do not have their swords revealed to them until after the Academy, but we will still go over this fighting style with unnamed swords. Of course, some of you may have your swords revealed to you even earlier, depending on the will of your sword's spirit, and if you can successfully meditate on the solidification of your sword from your reiryoku."

"Kido is a highly demanding form that can be tricky for some. Using your reiatsu, you will be able to cast spells to aid in your fighting. No matter how skilled you are at one of the four styles, you will not be as effective unless you have training in the others. Balance is key for Shinigami, who are in charge of universal balance between life, death, and the in-between worlds. This will not be studied until after the others, for it requires great concentration and perseverance that may not be acquired in some of you until then."

All the students were enthralled by the man's words, for he certainly had a way with them. He may be gruff and serious, but he seemed to enjoy giving the ideas he presented a sort of romantic twist, providing illusions of battle-weary soldiers going into the fray with only their strength and determination guiding them to the onslaught of foes…

While Akiko's mind wandered, Gengoro kept to the path of his lesson plan. "Today you will be shown to your personal quarters for the year. There will be three students to each room, and two rooms will share a bathroom. You will be separated male and female, and absolutely no after hour excursions to the rooms of the opposite sex will be tolerated." He paused, but no one dared snicker. "Here at the Academy, we have a high level of tolerance, but we want to ensure that focus is kept on creating gifted Shinigami who may go on to better Soul Society. You will be assigned roommates, and students from the final grade will conduct a tour for you. If you would please file out to the next room, you will find a group of the guides with lists. Locate the one with your name in hand, and follow whatever they say. They are not just your guides for today; they are meant to help you with any questions you may have throughout the year so that you yourself may become a model to future students."

As one, the students shifted to their feet and shuffled with little grace to the room at the top of the stairs. True to Gengoro's instructions, several well-groomed upperclassmen stood proud against the walls. It took some time, for everyone flooded to the nearest guide, then to the next, then to the next, till they found their respective leaders. Luckily for Akiko, her guide was only the third in line, and soon she found that he also belonged to Rukia and Hinamori Momo. She smiled as her new acquaintances caught up to her.

"Alright, let's get this tour started, who's who?" the tall man voiced in a bored tone.

"I'm Hinamori Momo, uh, sir?" The small girl flushed, partly due to the attractive man before her, partly due to her uncertainty in what to call said man.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that. I'm Hisagi Shuhei. Nice to meet you all," he nodded.

He looked to Rukia expectantly. "Oh! Yes, er, I'm Rukia," she breathed the words quickly with a quick, nervous bow. Akiko couldn't help but notice how out-of-her-element Rukia was without Renji. It was almost cute how much she relied on the fiery soul, but she hoped Rukia would get over the attachment soon, or else it would get in the way of her becoming a soul reaper.

"And last but not least…" he said with a smirk.

Akiko gave a friendly smile, "Hayashi Akiko, at your service."

"Great! So, now that we've been introduced, let's get going." He led the trio outside the reception building and back around the building to the first year student's housing units. "Ah, I remember these. They kind of suck, but don't worry, the rooms for next year are a _huge_ step up from these in niceness." He looked to his clipboard, then changed direction toward building number 1. Up a flight of stairs and right next to the stairwell came room number 121. He led the girls inside, who were practically buzzing with excitement.

When they stepped in, the room was nothing impressive, but to them, one who had lived in the streets all her life, another an orphanage, and another in servant's quarters, the room was perfect. It had three beds, well, more like cots, a window overlooking the central plaza where students could eat and socialize, two dressers, a desk, and a small closet. Opposite the front door was another door which led to a medium-sized bathroom boasting a large countertop, many drawers, a huge wall mirror, a toilet, and a shower. The girls immediately ran and jumped on the bed they claimed, so Hinamori ended up on the left of the room, Akiko in the middle, and Rukia on the right. Hisagi laughed at the antics, then said, "Don't get too comfortable, I've still got to show you around the rest of the place. Come on." With that, he heaved the three out of bed and exited the building. He commenced his practiced speech:

"All the rooms are surrounding this plaza. Each grade gets its own building, so there are six total. Each has about 30 rooms spread out over 3 floors, so there can be about 90 students per class, though there are typically less. Yours has about 70, though most are in the un-advanced class, so you'll see them only in the rooms, plaza, maybe at lunch, and at school-wide events."

"School-wide events?" Akiko questioned, curious.

"Yeah. They're just like social gatherings, dances, potlucks, birthday parties. They can be pretty fun, actually, since my grade always ends up planning them. We're pretty legit," he smirked again with confidence.

Akiko laughed, "I'm sure. How do we find out about these events?" She had never had trouble talking to new people, unlike the other two who seemed completely silent and bashful.

"You'll see posters and stuff on bulletin boards at the entrance to your buildings. But, maybe I'll help you out and personally invite you," he said, somewhat flirtatiously .

Akiko giggled, "That would be nice, thank you."

"Sure. Anyway. Tour. Sorry, they just told us yesterday we'd be doing this, so I'm not exactly prepared," he rubbed the back of his head. "So, the houses have some amenities for everyone on the ground floor, such as a laundry room, a small lounge with TVs and a pool table, excericise facilities. A lot of kids will spend their after-class hours downstairs."

As they spoke, he kept walking forward. Soon they left the housing plaza and entered a large, bland building. "This is the dining hall. The food's okay, but hey, it's free. Some of the upper classmen are allowed to leave and get food in the barracks; the closest is division 5, and their captain's pretty chill with it. The food's hella better. Oh! Sorry, I'm not supposed to use language like that to the younger kids."

"Thanks for the concern, but we're all old enough to handle it, I believe," she smiled at her flustered superior.

"That's good. This place has a lot of weird rules, for sure. You're the advanced class, right?" They nodded. "Ah, so you've got Gengoro. He's pretty fun, just do your homework and be enthusiastic about your training. He likes initiative."

"I met him earlier before class. He seems very… eager about all this."

He laughed, "You have no idea. He's so happy whenever the new year comes around. 'New minds to mold,' and all that. We'll stop here, I'm famished. You guys don't mind if we pause the tour for a bit, do you?"

"Not at all, right guys?" Akiko questioned her roommates with her eyes.

"Er, no, sir, it's fine," Momo managed to stutter.

"Yeah, what she said," Rukia squeaked. Akiko couldn't help but roll her eyes. As a maid, she wasn't allowed to talk to people a lot, so she took advantage of any new opportunity she got. She was actually quite a chatterbox once she started with someone.

"Great! You guys just sit, and I'll be back. Unless you want something?"

"I'm good. I just ate," Akiko replied. Hinamori and Rukia nodded in agreement, and Hisagi shrugged, then headed toward the long counter which seemed to be the point of origin of several good smells.

"Well, Akiko, I never would've painted you as a flirt!" Hinamori joked.

"Huh?"

Rukia nodded, "You do seem very interested in HIsagi-sama."

"Woah, woah, woah! I just met him, and it's called talking. You know, conversation? You guys should try it sometime." She rolled her eyes.

Hinamori twiddled her fingers, "I wish. I'm not very confident around guys."

"I don't mind, after hanging out with Renji and the other guys all my life, I'm used to it. I just don't wish to be so open in so little time."

"Hinamori, I think you should just not look at talking to guys as searching for a life partner, or something. They're just potential friends. And Rukia, there's nothing wrong with opening up, because then the other person'll open up and the same amount of trust will be put in by both partners. It's all about having fun and being yourself." Just then, Hisagi returned, his plate steaming from a pile of noodles topped with some kind of spiced meat.

"So, do you guys have any questions so far?" He mumbled, his mouth stuffed with food.

"Sure," Akiko spoke up after a couple second of awkward silence.

"Ask away."

"Were you in the advanced class?"

He laughed, "Ah, well, no. I actually wasn't, shocking I know. I didn't meet Gengoro till my fourth year, where I got bumped up to the advanced class. It's kind of embarrassing how much quicker you go through the material in the advanced classes, I probably learned more in that one year than in all three of the basics I'd taken."

"So, is it a significant increase in work?"

"Hell yes—oh sorry! But, there's a lot of out-of-class training he 'recommends,' although it's kind of an unspoken rule that you _have_ to do them."

"Like what?"

"Well, you have to hand in a chart of all the exercise you've completed, my grade, we all get together and run in the morning, or sometimes we do sparring or have fun and swim. You've got to stay in peak physical shape as a Shinigami, ready for anything."

"That sounds fun, do you think we could join?" While Akiko's face was bright, Hinamori and Rukia's faces went pale.

"Er, Hayashi-kun, I don't know if we should just invite ourselves into an already established agenda," Hinamori whispered harshly, though it was loud enough to reach their guide's ears.

"Hey, it's no trouble. I'm sure they'll like all of you. You can join tomorrow, 5 o'clock, since class starts at 7:30. It may be hard to wake up that early the first few times, so my friends and I can help you out of bed, if it comes to that. We have our ways." He laughed mischievously.

Akiko's eyes widened, in slight fear of what may be in store should she fail to wake up. "Oh, okay. But wait…" she paused.

"What?"

"This just occurred to me, but isn't it kind of silly that a group of girls got a male guide for the year? You know, because of the no opposite-gender-visiting-after-hours rule?"

"I know, it's weird. Gengoro assigned it like that though, I'm not sure what he was thinking. There are a few other groups like this, but only in the advanced classes. Perhaps he thinks you're mature enough." He smirked. "Well, let's get on with this tour, my mini-me's!"

Even Rukia and Hinamori outwardly laughed at this as he jumped up, catching a second wind of enthusiasm, apparently, as he led the rest of the tour with gusto.

* * *

Three hooded figures stood outside the door, whispering frantically.

"If we get caught, there won't be any mercy. It's still considered an inappropriate hour, you know," said a tall figure, distinctly male.

"If you shut up, we won't get caught," responded a much softer voice, that of a female.

"It's not a big deal for _you_ to do this, but for us guys? Sixth year males in first year girls' rooms. Man, we're in for a world of hurt. This had better be worth in, Shuhei."

"Shut up, it's not going to take that long. There won't be a problem, as long as her roommates don't scream."

"I thought they were coming with us, too?"

"I don't think they'll want to, they're much more shy than the Hayashi girl."

"Why is she so special to you?" The girl asked, a hint of jealousy in her tone, unnoticed by Hisagi.

"Not special. She wanted to train with us, so why not?"

"Hmph," was his only reply.

"Alright, let's do this!" The three slowly opened the door, the tallest and most nervous one flinching at the slightest creak. They came upon three beds, but only two figures; the middle was empty.

"Which is she?"

"Hm. I don't see her… Are the water buckets ready?"

"Always." They crept forward, looking for any clue of the new recruit's whereabouts. There was only silence, and the room was dark. The sun had not yet risen and bestowed its rays upon the room.

"Hey," barked a voice from behind them. They wheeled about sharply, one of them casting a bucket of water toward the figure in the doorway. But it flash stepped out of harm's way, closer to them. It laughed, and Hisagi softened when he realized who it was.

"Nice to see you, Hayashi. You ready?"

"Of course! But, are you guys? I wasn't aware that we would be running in cloaks belonging to some kind of cult. And, were those water buckets for me? Aw, you shouldn't have," she practically cooed the last part.

The other girl laughed, "I'm Kanisawa, Shuhei's classmate and friend." She placed emphasis on "friend" and "Shuhei," highlighting the closeness they had as she glared at Akiko.

"And I'm Aoga, also a friend and classmate. Can we get going? I need to change, and I don't wish to get caught for sneaking into the girl's dorms on the first day."

"Fair enough, we'll head to the usual spot. Are the others there?" Kanisawa nodded. "Let's head out. Oh, did the other two want to come?"

Akiko looked down, "Sadly no, maybe I can convince them another time, once they're more used to things."

Hisagi nodded, "Alright. We'll flash step there, since you know how. That makes things so much easier. Just try to keep up, I suppose."

And with that, the three sixth-years stepped away, leaving the building quickly. They passed through the central plaza, and exited the Academy completely. Hisagi seemed impressed at Akiko's abilities in flash-step, she seemed even faster than the other two, so he lengthened his strides, leaving the other two behind while Akiko laughed beside him. "I hope you're not trying to lose me, Hisagi."

"Of course not, just testing you," he smirked, an expression which Akiko assumed must be a favorite of his.

"Well, I hope I'm meeting your expectations."

Now it was his turn to laugh, "Surpassing them really. And—you can call me Shuhei."

Akiko flushed at the look he was giving her, "Alright, Shuhei." Her voice became stern. "You may _not_ call me Akiko."

"Wait, wha—" he seemed slightly crestfallen, missing a flash-step and nearly tripping.

She laughed, a hearty laugh that made her face shine. "I'm just teasing! Don't act too sad, now."

He joined in, "Fine by me, Akiko."

A handful of steps after their exchange, they came to a quaint nature trail, cutting through a forest of spruce. Aoga and Kanisawa soon caught up. "So," Shuhei spoke up. "We'll just head down this trail to our clearing, the others should be there. No flash-steps, this is our warm up."

Akiko nodded, and she fell into step behind Shuhei. He kept a quick pace, but she managed to stay in stride with him. Kanisawa was a few steps behind, and slowly increasing the distance between them, while Aoga was far in the back, his loud huffs audible from here. "So your classmates won't mind me here?"

"Nah, they shouldn't, and if any of them give you a hard time, just let me know, I'll take care of it."

"Thanks, but, if I'm causing any type of unrest, I could just go. I don't believe Kanisawa likes me much," she voiced this opinion only when she couldn't sense the mentioned girl anywhere nearby.

He shrugged. "She's like that, really, don't mind her. She's kind of built up her 'reputation' as the 'alpha female.' I think she's just afraid you'll jeopardize that position." He made comical air-quotes around his words.

"Why would she think that? I'm a first-year."

"And yet you've already surpassed her in flash-step and in physical endurance."

"Oh, well, I don't mean to—"

"No, it's fine. She needs to realize that, though she thinks she's the best in our group, she can easily be beaten by others she had no idea existed."

They ran in silence for a while, till they entered the clearing. While it was a nature trail, there was evidence of human presence in the rustic, wooden benches dotting the landscape. And the actual humans were a pretty good indication of that as well.

"Hey, Shuhei! You're late," a gruff-looking man reclining on a bench shouted. He stood, and Akiko couldn't help but stare—he had to be over seven feet tall!

"Sorry Itsuki, we had to pick up someone, everyone, meet the newest addition to the sixth-year training group."

She waved and smiled, "Hello, thank you for including me, I'm Hayashi Akiko."

The man name Itsuki—meaning tree, _how appropriate_, thought Akiko—regarded the young girl for a moment. She shifted her position and tried not to look away, though he was making her quite uncomfortable. Finally, he blinked, then, breaking the glance, he gasped aloud.

"You've picked well, Shuhei, I haven't been beaten in a staring contest in years." He rubbed his weary eyes.

He rolled his eyes, then laughed at Akiko's obvious confusion. "That's Itsuki. He determines a person's worth by their ability to compete in a staring contest. Congratulations, he's approved you into the group."

"Oh, well, thank you."

The giant enveloped her in his arms and lifted her, "She's so cute! I just want to eat her up!"

"You'd better put her down. Judging by her face, she probably thinks you could. Enough with the hugging."

"Alrighty." He set her down. "Tell me, do you have a boyfriend?"

Her face went red, "Um, not currently, but I'm not really—"

Shuhei noticed her discomfort and spoke up, "Don't worry, Itsuki's not interested in women, he's just obnoxiously curious about everyone else's lives."

"Well gee, do you have to tell everyone?"

"Yes, yes I do."

The man huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Appearing to be having a silent tantrum, he sat down, the ground reverberating with the force of his body. "Besides, don't act like you weren't interested in the answer, Hisagi," he winked.

"Whatever," Shuhei sighed. "So, I don't think we should bother with all the introductions, you'll get to know us all if you keep coming."

Itsuki, apparently over his short fit, asked, "What year are you? We typically don't associate with younger students, just because we never really see them." There was an audible scoff from Kanisawa.

"And for good reason," she said, her words dripping with disdain.

Akiko decided to ignore the comment and answered, "I'm a first year, Shuhei was my tour guide yesterday, and I kind of invited myself."

"Don't be like that, I invited you," he smiled.

"Okay, so I was invited, my mistake."

"Wow, a first year? Must have done something impressive to be noticed by an upper-classman."

Shuhei looked at Akiko and grinned, "Well, she just caught my eye."

By this time, Kanisawa was practically seething. Murderous thoughts raced through her mind, sparked by the quick formation of such casualness between the two, and at the charm Shuhei had suddenly developed, though not for her. She decided then to make this Akiko girl's life a living hell. She smiled eerily, unnoticed by everyone but Aoga, who looked on in fear at his long-time friend's (and crush's) evil glare.

"Let's get the run going, then. We'll be running till we hit the mountain base, then head to the waterfall trail, and back, got it?" The group nodded, then stood and commenced stretching their muscles to avoid injury.

The pack departed, keeping a swift pace down the trail. The blob disbanded within five minutes, with Shuhei, Itsuki, and Akiko in the lead. There were several other just a few paces behind them, then a large gap.

"So Itsuki, how was your summer?" Shuhei asked, breaking the calm silence.

"Same as my last summers," he sighed. "Miserable. Yours?"

"Like you, I haven't changed. Training, training, training."

"You seem very dedicated, Shuhei."

"You know it. I've wanted to be a Shinigami since I was little. I was saved by one once, and I admire then. They really do a lot for the world."

Akiko nodded. She had a respect for the idea of being a Shinigami, but after meeting hundreds of noble soul reapers over the years she doesn't have too high of a regard for them, for they never truly cared for the Shinigami code, or for others. Occasionally, kinder soul reapers would make an appearance and change her mind, but they would soon be overshadowed by a soul reaper yelling at her and calling her a useless shred of reiryoku for delivering the tea in a slow fashion. She wished to become a Shinigami so that perhaps she could become a good influence, and trigger some change in the way that they all think.

"How 'bout you, Akiko?" Shuhei's question broke her train of thought.

"Nothing too interesting, really. I was freed from a life of servitude, so decided to come here."

"Well, I think you've made the right choice. You'll be a good Shinigami, I know it. You're pretty advanced too, even for the advanced class. Maybe you'll skip a grade?" he shrugged.

"We'll see. I've just barely made friends, I probably shouldn't go around abandoning them so soon," she laughed.

They carried on with trivial chatting, the three never seeming to be short of breath. Soon, they turned at the mountain base, and the tell-tale rush of water signifying a waterfall could be heard far off in the distance.

"Hey, Shuhei?"

"What?"

"Wanna race?"

"Sure," he smirked at the young girl's enthusiasm. "What's the bet?"

"You can name the terms, _senpai_," she bowed jokingly.

"Hmm…" he pondered for a bit. "I win, you have to eat lunch with me, er, us. You win, I'll let you pick anything, though I doubt it'll happen."

"Deal," they shook on it, while Itsuki looked on amused. By now, the sun had risen above the horizon line and created dancing shadows on the three figures, who were now alone due to the others' fatigue.

"He won't go easy, Hayashi, you sure you can handle it?"

"No need to worry about me, Itsuki. I'm not sure he'll be able to handle me. To the waterfall?" Shuhei nodded in response. "On your marks."

"Get— "

"Go!" Akiko rushed ahead, leaving a trail of dust in her wake. Shuhei regained his composure and laughed.

"You cheater! You couldn't even beat me in a fair race I see!" he challenged.

"Ha! You wish! I'm not even going my full speed!"

"Neither am I, so let's _really_ make this interesting!"

Itsuki could hear the two from his position far behind them, him still jogging along briskly. He chuckled to himself, visions of a spring wedding between two lovers in his head. _Hey, gays can be a bit on the romantic side,_ he reasoned.

**

* * *

**Akiko returned to her room, her forehead just barely dampened with a layer of sweat. Shuhei stood in the door, significantly sweatier, with a smile on his face.

"See you at lunch, then?"

"Sure, and next time, try to keep up!" She winked.

"Ah, well, I may have lost, but I got what I wanted in the end. That's the sign of a true strategist."

"Well, I hope your strategy doesn't involve us being late on the first day, Shuhei. If you please, I must take my leave."

"Alright, we'll come get you in the dining hall after class," he waved, then flash-stepped to his room.

"What was that about?" Rukia asked.

"Shuhei lost a bet, so I get to go to lunch with the group."

"He doesn't seem too upset about the loss," she mused.

"No, I guess not."

"Sounds like you guys are getting pretty cozy."

"Rukia-san, it's not like that. I don't think, anyway… Hey, where's Hinamori?"

"Showering. We just got up. It's about half past six, so you have plenty of time to primp."

"That's good. You can go next, if you haven't already," Akiko let down her hair and brushed it, making it easier to work with for later.

Rukia stared for a bit. "Thank you, your hair is very long."

"Yeah, sadly it gets in the way, but I couldn't dream of cutting it."

"How come?"

Akiko flushed, "Just something my mother told me."

"Don't be embarrassed, Hayashi, what was it you were saying yesterday about opening up and putting trust into ta relationship?" she asked with a raised brow and a smirk.

She laughed, "Alright, you've got me. My mom once said that a guy would show his love for you on the deepest level by brushing your hair, so I thought it'd be bad luck for love if it was short."

Rukia was silent, then laughed. "That's hilarious!"

"Hey now! What happened to the trust? You weren't supposed to laugh!" Though she couldn't help but join in.

"I'm sorry, you're just silly. I hope you don't find a guy shallow enough to love you solely on the length of your hair."

"Hey, all's fair in love and war. Speaking of love, how's Renji?" Now it was Akiko's turn to smirk.

"Hayashi!" Rukia's cheeks went pink.

"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul. And, you can call me Akiko."

"Thank you, that is kind." Her expression softened.

"Sure thing Rukia. Man, Hinamori is taking a while, isn't she? The shower's not even running."

"Maybe we should check on her?"

As they approached the door, there was a muffled scream. Akiko threw it open to see Hinamori surrounded by three other girls.

"Who the hell are you?" Akiko shouted.

"We're your neighbors, and it's our turn to shower."

Akiko was baffled. "You're seriously going to fight over _bathroom privileges?_"

The leader of the troop jumped at the tone in her voice, but regained her composure. "If that's what it takes, then yes. You guys think you're all that since you're in the advanced class, but we've grown up in the outer districts of Rukongai, and we could take you lot anyday!"

"Is that so? Well. They forbade fighting in the dorms, but you don't mess with my friends." The room went silent as if Akiko's glare was a palpable force (which, it pretty much was).

"Alright then. Let's go."

* * *

**Yay! Chapter 7 done! And, it's over 5,000 words! I'm pretty proud. So, I've left you with a bit of a cliffhanger, gasp! And, I'm really starting to like Hisagi, I don't think he gets enough luff! :[ hmm... maybe another story? ;] Whew, this one had a lot of dialogue, I'm noticing... ah well. Rates and reviews appreciated :]**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey all! Been a while, huh? Hopefully now that school's over and certain people are out of my life, I may have more time to post! Yay! (: Let me know if you like where the story's going; I have a pretty good idea of what I want now, a miracle, I know! O:**

* * *

The two women stood face to face, one in a battle-ready stance, the other cockily standing with her hands on her hips.

"Who do you think you are, anyway?" the short blond sneered.

"I'm just a concerned roommate whose friends are being picked on, and I intend to stop it. It's obvious that you're just begging for a fight, and I hope you don't expect to win."

The challenger's responding scoff was echoed by her cronies, who merely stood behind, mocking confidence, though one of them, Akiko noted, was visibly shaking. Just to be mean, she flared her reiatsu for a second. The largest girl squeaked, and her leader turned to glare. She faced Akiko once more and said, "Well, I grew up in Rukongai, and you three look like a lot of brats, spoiled rotten. I'll show you that you don't deserve to be here!"

"I applaud your bravado, but it's been misplaced. Now, I'll tell you what's gonna happen. You'll charge recklessly, take a few silly strikes, which will be dodged, then I'll tie you up using that ugly shower curtain, okay?"

She was taken aback by Akiko's confidence, but regained her composure slightly and managed to say, "Why you little!" Then she charged, powering up her fist before sending a punch aimed at Akiko's jaw. She moved out of the way, causing the challenger to stutter in her footing. But she turned, and with a snarl, delivered a high kick. Akiko merely ducked and weaved below her leg; the girl left her stomach open with the kick, but Akiko decided to ignore it and waited. Her opponent persevered. After several unsuccessful attacks which were all dodged, she cried out exasperated.

"Aren't you going to do anything?"

"Oh, is that what you wanted?" Akiko twirled a strand of hair around her index finger, regarding it with utmost interest.

"You're not even trying!"

"And you're not as stupid as you look."

The girl screamed with fury, and her reiatsu tickled the hairs on the back of everyone's necks, but Akiko was undaunted. She resumed with her strikes, these ones notably faster and stronger than her previous ones. Wanting to end the fight sooner rather than later, Akiko didn't dodge, but blocked the blows. She caught the blonde's hand while she took a jab at her throat, and in one fluid movement, twisted it behind the girl's back. She forced her to the ground, and she struggled to free herself. Before she could react, she found herself completely entangled in the chartreuse shower curtain, just as Akiko had promised.

"How… who…" she panted.

"It's called skill. Look it up. As for 'who', it's Hayashi Akiko. Remember it. Now, you had better quit with this silly fighting habit of yours, before I'm forced to kick your trash anymore," she was seething.

"I'll take that as a confession," mused a man from the bathroom door. "Getting into fights on the first day, ladies?"

Akiko whirled around to see none other than the headmaster, glaring at them, though with a noticeable hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Senpai! Er, I don't know what to say. I'll take whatever punishment you wish to give me," Akiko bowed humbly, embarrassed by her mistake. What would her parents say? Her first day and already in trouble!

The curtain-clad peer was less noble. "Sir, she just attacked me! I had no chance!"

At this, Rukia and Hinamori garnered the courage to defy the claim and defended their protector to the teacher.

"Right. Well, Hayashi, I would like to see you in my office—after class though. I expect you three" he gestured to the three neighbors "can clean up this mess?"

They nodded, too scared—or in one person's case, too busy untangling herself—to do more than was necessary.

"Very well," and with that, he flash-stepped away.

The pause that followed was awkward, with the only noise being the rude neighbor shifting out of her cocoon.

"You're gonna pay for this," she muttered as she stormed out of the bathroom, her friends shuffling behind her.

"Well, Hinamori, I suppose you can take your shower in peace now, although the curtain's a bit messed up."

"Akiko! That was great! Where did you learn to fight like that?" Hinamori squealed in awe.

"My previous employer insisted on my being knowledgeable in the ways of self-defense, so I know a few tricks."

"You really do belong in the advanced class. Just don't skip too far ahead of us!" Hinamori said sadly.

"Don't worry, I like you guys! I wouldn't leave you too soon," she put her arms around the other girls and squished them into a hug. "You guys are the best! Now get ready for school."

"Yes, mother," Rukia rolled her eyes once she removed herself from the embrace.

In less than twenty minutes, the girls were primped and ready for the first full class day, a feat made easier by the fact that the neighbors they shared the bathroom with were nowhere to be seen.

"Let's roll out team!" Akiko pointed forward with gusto, much to her roommates' amusements. While they laughed at her shenanigans, they made their way to the classroom. Passing through the corridors then the courtyard, they arrived with several minutes to spare. Other students dashed into the room out of breath, having sprinted the journey fearing that they would be late.

Everyone's punctuality went unnoticed, for the teacher himself was ten minutes late.

"Sorry for the delay, class. There was an impromptu meeting concerning the internal relations of the students," Gengoro glared at Akiko and her friends, who looked away in an act of innocence. "Let us resume. As the advanced class, we will begin physical training sooner than the regular class, by which I mean today. Yesterday I gave a very quick explanation of hand-to-hand combat, and today we'll do some exercises. If you'll form an orderly line and head to the door at the back, we can make our ways calmly to the training arena."

In the way that only students are capable of, everyone stood up at once, toppling chairs and creating a ruckus. Each person tried to shove their way to the center aisle and mount the stairs to the exit, only succeeding to cause a giant blob of spirits bent on getting to one destination. After the first few drops leaked out, soon the whole mass cascaded out of the narrow bottleneck. Gengoro slapped his face and sighed. He mentally braced himself for a tricky next six years.

In the courtyard, each student was assigned a partner. Akiko ended up standing across from the mopey young man she had met before.

"Hello again, Izuru, is it?"

"Er, well, you can call me Kira."

She stretched her hand to him, "Nice to meet you for real. I'm Hayashi Akiko if you forgot."

He shook her hand, "Well, thanks Hayashi-san."

"Now students, you will start with basic mirror techniques. Step far apart from your partner, enough that you won't actually hit them, and feign some punches while your partner blocks. This will allow for you to read body language and use your bodies to react to attacks properly. Begin."

Down the line students launched their hits, and their partners pretended to block each one. Akiko was on the defensive at first. She found Kira's attacks to be rather quick, and smart. He would aim once high, then low, then left, then right, forcing her to move more with each strike. If each blow had landed, she probably would have had weary arms the next day, but for now she barely broke a sweat. Judging by the frivolous chatting around her, it seemed that the drill wasn't taxing on anyone's endurance.

"Switch!" Gengoro yelled.

Akiko began her barrage of punches on Kira, hers being notably quicker and fiercer than his. She didn't like how awkward she felt standing like a set rod, for she preferred implementing jumps and spins while fighting, but she stuck to the instructions.

"You're good, Hayashi-san," he panted as his hands struggled to keep up with hers.

"Thanks," was her short reply. Much to Kira's relief, Gengoro soon called for a stop and a short reprieve.

"It is evident that all of you have knowledge of the basics on how to strike and block, which makes my job easier. For the next step, get closer to your partner and start to land your punches. Don't be too rough, mind you. No cheap shots. Begin."

Akiko blocked each punch with ease. Despite her first impression of his strength, her hands did not grow tired; she figured that his turn on defense had taken a toll on his own muscles.

The next half hour went by like this, with the partners switching roles on each new drill Gengoro would assign, from punches to kicks, then to wooden staffs and swords. Overall, the professor was pleased with everyone's performance, although he did make a few short quips when he saw students being lazy or out of form. Finally he excused the class for another break after which they'd reconvene in the classroom.

Akiko and Kira headed toward their friends who had already laid claim to a wooden bench stuffed into the sparse shade of the courtyard.

"Hey guys, how are you doing?" Akiko smiled.

"Fine, I'm not sure about Renji though, he's a bit worn out," Rukia teased her friend and sparring partner.

He seemed incredulous. "You were begging for a break long before the second drill. You know I'm the better fighter. How about you two?"

"Oh, I had fun. Nothing like a light spar to make you hungry, though," Akiko held her hand over her stomach which growled as if on cue.

Kira laughed, "Light is an understatement. Hayashi was kicking my butt! I'm going to be sore all week!"

Amid their laughter, Momo pouted. "You guys are so lucky to have at least worked together! I was stuck with a complete stranger who didn't shower, it seemed." Her discomfort was relieved with the mirth of her friends, who consoled her while also enjoying her annoyance.

After the short break, the group headed back to the classroom and sat in their spots, awaiting the rest of the students who soon strolled inside. Gengoro was already at the front of the room writing different names of fighting styles on the board. When everyone was seated, he began his riveting presentation on defense, which he called the best form of offense. Akiko settled herself back in her chair, bored but still barely listening in case he should call on her. He never did, though his penetrating gaze ensured that no one would dare doze off.

After his lecture, the students were excused for lunch. The mass stampeded out. Hungry and weary, the young students fought for their rights to the watering hole.

The rush was unneeded, however, for the food was in abundance as was the table space. The line went through quickly and everyone was able to get what they wanted for the most part; Akiko found the selection to be a bit bland with hardly enough spice.

She and her friends sat at a table in the corner among the other advanced students. Every voice, laugh, and squeal of a moving chair rebounded off the white stone walls, causing the students to speak louder just to be heard. Over the ruckus, Shuhei called out.

Akiko turned toward where she thought she heard her name and saw the upper classman waving her over.

"Sorry guys, I just remembered that I'm supposed to sit with Shuhei today. See ya!" With a parting wave and smile, she grabbed her tray and navigated her way through the labyrinth of tables, chairs, and students. Shuhei cleared a space for her next to him and she set her food down with glee, choosing to ignore the glares from Kanisawa. For the remainder of the lunch period, she enjoyed her time with the others, becoming the delight of the older students in minutes.

"Where's she going?" Renji asked between bites.

"She's hanging out with the sixth years. She went jogging with them this morning," Rukia answered glumly.

"How'd she meet them already?"

"Hisagi Shuhei was our guide yesterday and they took quite an interest in each other."

"That's too bad. I thought we had something between us," Renji shrugged.

Rukia swatted the back of his head. "You can't be serious. She's way out of your league! I don't even think Hisagi stands a chance."

"What makes you say that?"

"A woman's intuition," she voiced confidently.

There was a moment's silence, broken by Renji's laugh. "You're not a woman, shortstuff!"

She flushed. "Hey! I'm—! You're—!" was the best her flustered wit could stutter. The remainder of the verbal battle passed in short bursts, each one occasionally offering a few stinging rebuttals or unsuccessful insults.

After her sociable lunch, Akiko met back up with her classmates. They filed in with everyone else who made their way to their respective classes, talking and laughing loudly due to the energy provided by their recent sustenance. The hyper behavior soon dulled as the sugar completed its processing midway through the teacher's next lesson. Gengoro would not be stopped, however, even as his many questions went unanswered and the best students became lifeless. After an hour of inactivity, the class was released, but the professor pointed to Akiko and beckoned her toward him.

"I'll catch up with you guys later," she reassured her friends before walking to the front by Gengoro.

"It would look bad for me if I did not give you some sort of punishment for your behavior this morning. Some would accuse me of favoritism, for, I'm sure you can tell, you are a very advanced pupil. Were it not for the attachments to your friends you could probably fly through the academy in half the time. Your talent plus the fact that I've known your father and been friends with him for many a year may give the impression that I would treat you unfairly as compared to the other students. Therefore I must fulfill my promise of punishment. Since it is your first offense, your penalty will be less severe. I expect you to clean the mess hall every day after class for three weeks. You will start today. Don't worry though, there are other delinquents who can aid you in your efforts." His smile and wink at the end assured her that he wasn't as upset with her as she had thought.

Reluctantly, Akiko returned to the scene of her earlier lunch hour. She set out to wiping down the long tables of crumbs and various wrapper scraps when a familiar voice tinkled in her ears.

"Well, what do we have here? Volunteer cleaning, or have you already been caught?" her friend teased.

She playfully flipped her moist towel at him and laughed. "You've got me, Shuhei. I'm clearly another young malefactor whose only goal in life is to serve their time cleaning the leftovers of society's angels."

The older man smiled and began clearing off the neighboring table. "So what'd the monitors get you for?" he asked, referring to the upper classmen who acted as guards in the dorms and reported any and all illegal actions to their superiors.

"Not a monitor, the big man himself: Gengoro."

"Wow, a softy like you? What'd you do? Litter?"

"I got in a fight with my neighbor," she admitted, unabashed.

"That's surprising. Did you win?"

"Of course."

"I should have known. A rebel-raiser like you, what'd you do to make her mad?"

"Nothing, Hinamori was just about to use the bathroom which we shared when the girl went psycho! She was begging to be burned."

Seeing the indignant glare on her face, Shuhei made a mental note to never get on Akiko's bad side. "Did you explain that she started it?"

"Rukia and Hinamori defended me, but I thought it'd be better just to serve my time. I shouldn't have let her get to me so easily. I could have dealt with it better."

"By the sound of it, I'm not sure she would've responded to any other type of problem solving tactics," he mused.

"Perhaps not, but, live and learn, right?"

With a shrug he resumed his scrubbing. After several minutes of silence, Akiko asked her own question. "Why are you in detention, then?"

"The monitors aren't too appreciative of art." He rolled his eyes. Akiko assumed some type of vandalism, but was surprised when he confessed his true crime: "causing a disturbance with his infernal guitar playing in the dorms."

"I never would have painted you as a musician," she admitted.

"It's one of my many hobbies. How about you?"

"Hobbies?" she pondered the subject for a while. Since her newfound freedom, she'd been busy making friends and finding long lost relations. Perhaps she'd have to acquire some of these hobbies if she wanted to keep up a good conversation, she thought. "I honestly don't have any."

"Really? What'd you do before the Academy?"

"I was a maid. The job was very demanding. It left little time for trivial pursuits."

"Who was your employer?"

"Kuchiki Byakuya." The name rolled off her tongue with ease, though a slight bitter twinge was detectable.

His brow furrowed in thought. "I think I've met that guy. He's a noble, isn't he? And a captain? With a stick up his—"

"That's the one." The two set their rags in soap-water filled buckets before grabbing a broom and dust pan to sweep.

"That mustn't have been very fun. Did you meet a lot of Shinigami?"

"I saw them, but we rarely talked. But how do you know the officers?"

"I occasionally go on missions with the Gotei 13, so I've met a few in the process."

"That'll give you an advantage when you graduate," she said, obviously impressed.

He shrugged but smiled at the subtle flattering tone. "I hope so. Ever since I was young I've wanted to join the 9th division."

"How come?"

"Well, me and my friends were attacked by a Hollow many years ago. Then the captain, I learned he was Kensei Muguruma, and his squad saved us. The way they fought was so strong and artful. I figured it would be a perfect fit. He's the reason I got this tattoo," he explained while gesturing to the 69 on his face. "He had one just like it, but on his chest."

Akiko had heard of Kensei Muguruma, of course, and with this knowledge she also knew of his mysterious disappearance along with several other seated officers.

Shuhei continued, "He's not the captain anymore, a shame since I wanted to serve under him, but the current captain, Kaname Tosen, is just as respectable. He detests violence, and his views are so like my own—" As his train of thought wandered, his words became less and less sensible till the two were submerged in silence once again. Akiko admired her friend for having decided on the path he'd take after the Academy while she considered herself lucky to still have six years to figure out her own. She was just realizing that should she become a high ranking officer as she hoped, she'd have to deal with _him_, and who knows how often. The very thought of seeing his face, with him still looking down on hers, upset her. It unsettled her so much that her reiatsu flashed terribly, alerting the still distrait Shuhei that her thoughts led to less hopeful things.

"You okay?" he asked, shocked and concerned.

"Hm? Oh, yes, sorry. Just thinking."

"What about?"

"Oh, you know… Pudding, and other such treats."

"I've never met someone with such an abhorrence to desserts," he quirked a brow.

"Well, you know—look at this awful pudding stain on the floor! I can't sweep it, it'll get all caught up in the broom and smeared about. I'll have to get the mop. Pudding will be man's undoing, let me tell you."

After her obvious attempt to change the subject, the pair was silent once more. Soon the room was as spotless as a mess hall could be and they parted ways with a smile and a wave.

With her hands in her pockets, Akiko trudged back to her room. She wasn't looking forward to the homework assignment they'd been given, and she was sure Hinamori and Rukia had already finished theirs; they would probably be out having fun while she was forced to more labor. She began to whistle a melancholy tune when someone ran to her side, slightly out of breath from their recent exertion.

"Hey Akiko-san. Finished with your punishment?"

"Good evening, Renji. Ya, I'm just heading back to the room. I still have to finish that paper, though," she replied to the redhead glumly.

"It's not too hard. I'm sure you'll finish soon. I was just heading up to see the girls myself. We wanted to invite you all for a little swim at the lake and a picnic."

"That sounds fun. I presume you've already packed everything we'll need?"

He stopped, as if remembering something. "Oh! We've got to get food and blankets and stuff, huh?"

"That would be wise," she laughed at his unpreparedness. "I can pass along the information while you attempt to get the supplies," she suggested.

"Oh, we'll have time. Kira—and you, it seems—still have to finish his paper, so it'll be an hour or so. There'll be plenty of sunlight to stay out for a few more hours, and then we could have a bonfire, or something. I'll just walk with you."

Their chat was pleasant, and it covered many topics from the weather to the class and from favorite foods to interesting habits. As Akiko was laughing at Renji's superstition to never button his jacket completely until he was outside, they ran into Shuhei who waved at his friend, then gave a quick glare at her companion.

"Hey again, Akiko. I was on my way to talk to you," he folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the nearby wall. His action and its subtle flirtation was unnoticed by Akiko, but Renji was able to detect his obvious interest in her.

"Oh? What about? Oh, I'm sorry! Shuhei, this is my friend, Abarai Renji. Renji, this is Hisagi Shuhei."

Renji had the courtesy to extend a hand, "Nice to meet you."

With some reluctance Shuhei met his hand and shook it. "Likewise," he said.

Akiko may have been naïve concerning men, but she could plainly see the tenseness in the situation. Neither male liked the other, and she figured out why when Renji moved back to her side protectively. She flushed over the competition and decided to change the subject. "So what did you need to ask, Shuhei? Has something happened since I saw you less than a few minutes ago?"

"Oh, not especially. I was hoping to catch you alone, though," he gave Renji a meaningful glance.

"Anything you say to me can be said in front of Renji, I'm sure. What's up?" Renji smirked at her appreciation for his presence. Shuhei was undaunted, however, and acted like it was just him and Akiko.

"Fair enough. I was wondering if you would like to go on a date with me tonight."

Renji's shock was evident by his opened mouth, and Akiko's initial reaction was similar.

"I'm sorry, Shuhei. I already had plans with my friends tonight. We wanted to go to the lake. You can come if you want," she said slyly, looking to Renji for reassurance. He seemed upset, but he shrugged in compliance with her suggestion.

Shuhei could hardly be described as happy after this rejection, but he managed to reply, albeit in a deflated tone, that he would enjoy a trip to the lake. His ego was boosted when she in turn expressed her pleasure at the possibility of a date on another day, and he walked away in a chipper mood after she told him when he should be at the room to meet up with them.

Renji, however, was nonplussed. He couldn't understand why Akiko wouldn't accept the request from an older and talented student. It would have put her in a favorable standing with most of the first years for making such an impression on him. He voiced his question as they walked toward the girls' dormitories.

"It's simple, Renji. I will pick my friends any day if they invite me somewhere first. And, it would be rude of me to misuse Shuhei's interests in order to gain popularity. Third, I wouldn't want Hinamori and Rukia to have any more reason to gloat." She smiled at the last point. "Besides, I hardly rejected him. We're still hanging out, and I made it clear that I would go on a date with him some other time. It's too bad though," she trailed off.

"What is?"

"I absolutely hate swimming. Poor Shuhei will have to enjoy the water with you guys while I sit on the shore."

"I'm sure it won't be a problem. I'll bet you anything that he won't swim if you don't. He'll be at your side all night." Renji laughed.

"Anything, you say? Would you make that bet official, say, a small sum of ten dollars?" she smirked playfully.

"You're on, Akiko. I have a man's intuition, just like Rukia claims her 'woman's intuition.'"

Akiko laughed, "When did this happen?"

"At lunch, earlier, Rukia said she didn't think Shuhei stood a chance in your eyes," he replied, conveniently excluding the part where she also said Renji couldn't compete for her approval.

"Oh? And why's that?" Akiko asked with a slightly insulted tone.

Renji raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "Hey, you'll have to ask her, I'm just the messenger."

As their conversation drifted to less polemical topics, they arrived at her room. She knocked politely to signify her presence before yelling through the door, "Hey guys, Renji's here with me. Hopefully it's not a wreck in there." With her short warning she pushed open the door. The shelves were in a greater disarray than how she had left them, but besides that the room was as boring as ever. Rukia lounged on her bed, with Hinamori sitting at the desk brushing her hair.

"What do you want, Renji?" Rukia asked looking up from her book.

"We're gonna go to the lake tonight. I assume you guys are in?"

"Of course, but Hayashi-san hasn't finished her homework, I think," Rukia cast a questioning glance at her friend.

"Nope! But, how hard can a thesis on the effects of Kido on Zanpakuto strength be?" She chuckled dryly before leaving Renji's side and settling herself on her bed with a pen and paper in hand. "I'll finish this up right quick, don't you guys worry."

"Who else is coming?" asked Hinamori, still a bit shy in a man's presence. Her face brightened when Renji listed off several names, with Kira's being one of them.

"…and Hisagi-san," he concluded, with a slight roll of the eyes.

"What?" Rukia exclaimed at this piece of news combined with Akiko's apparent nonchalance.

"Nothing gets past you, my dear friend," Akiko smiled at her but immediately cast her head down to her work when Rukia shot her a triumphant and mischievous smirk with a glint of evil, informing her that this wasn't the end of the topic.

"Anyway," Renji continued. "Kira's gotta finish his paper too, so I'll swing by at about five. That should give us enough time to get the food for the picnic from… somewhere… what time is it now?"

Hinamori was the only one not consumed with other thoughts and looked at the wall clock just out of Renji's sight to her side. "It's only 3:50. Akiko's detention took a long time," she pointed out.

"Probably because Shuhei was there too," he grumbled, although with less bitterness than his previous words about him.

"Was he now?" Rukia raised a brow and glanced at Akiko who chose to ignore the gesture.

"Well, I'm off now. Where do you think I could find food?"

"Try the mess hall. One of the servers, Emi, would take quite an interest in you. You could find a way to get what you want from her." Akiko smirked at the redness that spread over his high cheekbones as he rushed out the door to make provisions for the trip.

She of course anticipated Rukia's pounce the moment Renji left and the door behind him clicked shut. Her questions were endless, and she hardly took a breath between each one, to which Akiko replied with a shrug. Rukia wouldn't be daunted and kept up her barrage of blissful musings for the couple. Sometime during the wedding dress selection—to which Hinamori and she expected invitation—Akiko found herself thinking that this would be a long night, and a long six years on top of that.

* * *

**Whew! That was looooooooooong! Poor Akiko, she's got too many guys to juggle! ;] But I have a feeling she'll be okay.**


End file.
